Blind Hate
by StarLight9
Summary: A web of hatred grows larger until the prey is ready to fall into it. And when the predator is a dangerous man, bound on revenge, and the prey is the King of Gondor, Aragorn will have to remember a strange skill to save himself and those he loves.
1. Disturbing Tidings

_**Blind Hate

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**Summary:** A web, woven of hatred and deceit, grows larger and larger until the prey is ready to fall into it. And when the predator is a dangerous and a clever man, bound on revenge, and the prey is the King of Gondor, Aragorn will have to remember a strange skill that he has learned long ago to save himself and those whom he loves. But even that might not be enough.

**Disclaimer:** All recognizable characters belong to the Tolkien Estate. Everything and everyone is returned in one piece.

**Rating:** T _(for blood and violence)_

**Note:** This story was originally written for the July 2010 Teitho Contest, "**Five Ingredients – Your Recipe**". However, it went past the page limit, and was not entered as a part of the contest. It was finished a long time ago but I decided to post it today to celebrate 4 years since I started writing fanfiction :) The challenge was to write a story containing the following elements: **missing toy, lame horse, person with disability, knocked-over candle, broken musical instrument**.

The story is **complete**. It will be posted in seven chapters and will be updated **weekly**.

Chapters List:

_Chapter 1: Disturbing Tidings_

_Chapter 2: Heart of Ice_

_Chapter 3: Dark Memories_

_Chapter 4: More Than Duty_

_Chapter 5: Revenge_

_Chapter 6: "Friendship is Never Enough"_

_Chapter 7: "Friendship is Always Enough"_

**Characters:** Aragorn, Eldarion, Legolas, Faramir, Arwen, Éowyn, Elboron, OCs _(listed loosely in order of importance although the first four are about equally major)_

**Genres:** angst, adventure, mystery, hurt/comfort, friendship, family

_Dedicated to Firefly-Maj (and Tiny of course!)

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_**Chapter 1: Disturbing Tidings

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_Knock. Knock-knock. Knock-knock-knock._

Arwen sighed in defeat and looked up. She had agreed to help Aragorn with some paperwork, but at this rate she would not get anything done today. Since early morning, she had been looking through reports from courthouses in towns and villages throughout the land. They gave accounts of trials that had not been resolved and needed to be taken to the King. Arwen looked through the complains, the claims and the evidence, and tried to sort them out, deciding which of those indeed had to be brought to the King's attention, and which were too absurd and petty and could be ignored.

She had started with perfectly good intentions, and was initially planning to get through the large pile by sunset, but it seemed the Valar had other schemes. The Queen had barely managed to read only a couple of reports as every ten minutes her eight-year-old son stormed into the room with questions or stories to tell.

"Come in!" she called tiredly, and Eldarion rushed inside. An exasperated girl followed closely.

"I apologize, my lady, but I could not stop him," the nanny said, and Arwen smiled sympathetically.

"I know, Moriel, it is well." She turned to her son. "What is it now, Eldarion?"

The boy looked more agitated than usual and his eyes were shining with moisture. "_Nana_, Floppy is missing!" he cried.

"Floppy?" Arwen looked at the nanny for help.

"His stuffed rabbit," Moriel supplied. "The Prince wanted to play with it, but could not find it anywhere."

Arwen sighed and stood up. Again. So many times throughout the years Eldarion had gone to her, close to tears, and saying that this or that was missing and that he had looked everywhere. And every single time she would go to his room, look for it, and find it almost right away. A fond smile appeared on the Queen's face. The child was absent-minded, and his mind was wandering to faraway dreams and places and rarely focusing on the present, but she would have him no other way. There would be time to grow up, but not yet.

"I will help you find him," she said and threw the pile of paper one last glance. It seemed not much work would be done on this day, but she could not lie to herself – she welcomed the excuse for a break.

"You will not find him!" Eldarion sniffed. "I looked everywhere! He is gone! Maybe he was angry with me because I didn't give him carrots last week! But I didn't want to spoil him!"

Arwen chuckled. "I am sure Floppy knows that you love him, darling, and that you try to do only what is best for him. He is not angry with you."

"He warned me," the child murmured sadly, not listening to his mother. "He said that if I would not give him carrots, he would take one of the horses and leave for Rohan! I should have known he meant it!"

"I did not know Floppy could ride," Arwen said seriously, trying to stifle her laughter. "If I cannot find him, I will check if any of the horses are missing."

"No use," the boy said with a sigh. "Floppy would not take a horse from the royal stables. He is smart and will make sure he hides all tracks. He would probably buy a horse from one of the citizens."

"Then we shall question everyone, and ask them if anyone has recently sold a horse to a stuffed rabbit," said the Queen, now completely unable to hide her broad smile. By that time they had reached the boy's room, and the trio stepped inside. Arwen looked to the left and immediately spotted a stuffed rabbit on the bookshelf.

"Is this one of Floppy's friends?" she asked. "Perhaps we could question him?"

"Floppy!" The boy cried suddenly and grabbed the rabbit. "No, _nana_, this is Floppy himself! He is back!"

"Or rather, he was never gone," said Arwen with a wink.

Eldarion frowned. "I am telling you, _nana_, I looked for him and he was not here! Why don't you believe me?" He sighed angrily, but the frown disappeared from his youthful face as quickly as it had come, and was replaced by a bright smile. "Well, it matters not now! I am glad you are back, Floppy! I will give you all the carrots you want! But first, I am going out riding with Baranir and Gornon."

"Riding?" Moriel asked in disbelief. "I thought you wanted to play with your rabbit and that was what the fuss was all about!"

Arwen laughed. "But, my dear, he wanted to play with his rabbit _ten minutes ago_. This was ages ago, and of course now he would want to do something else!"

The two women exchanged a grin and watched affectionately as the boy rummaged through a small wooden chest to find treats for his horse.

-:-

"I have never been so far away from the city!" Gornon cried excitedly.

"I often come riding here," Eldarion said proudly. "But my parents never let me come here without Baranir."

The older boy grinned. The royal family knew that Eldarion needed his freedom and wished to have some time without an adult watching his every step, and they often left him in the care of the fourteen-year-old Baranir. "I hope my company does not trouble you, your highness," he said lightly.

"Of course not," said Eldarion. "What annoys me is that my parents never trust me! I turned eight last week! I am a man already. Besides," he added unhappily, "these woods are very safe."

"And it is a pity," Baranir replied. "I was hoping we would meet some orcs, so that I could try out my new sword."

"You _sword_!" The two younger boys cried at the same time. "Your parents let you have a sword!"

"Father gave it to me as a present on my last birthday." Baranir took off his pack. "I am only allowed to use it in the presence of an adult, and he has no idea that I have it now."

"You are so brave!" Eldarion shouted and his eyes widened as Baranir took out his blade, wrapped in cloth. "May I try it?"

"It is heavy for you, and I will be in trouble if anyone finds out I gave you a blade. This sword is only for grown-ups," Baranir said solemnly.

Eldarion pouted. "First, I _am _old enough! Second, no one will find out if you let me use the sword. And third, if you do not give it to me, your parents might learn that you took the blade here."

The older boy glared at him. "You wouldn't!"

The prince smiled innocently. "I am only a little boy. I cannot control what I say, can I?"

"I thought you were _a man_," Baranir murmured darkly. "Alright, here it is."

But before he could hand the weapon to Eldarion, the three horses stopped in their tracks, neighing nervously. The boys froze.

Music. A strange melody suddenly filled the sunlit glade. Beautiful it was, but at the same time sounded filled with rage and hatred, and something deeper that Eldarion could not place. It was from a woodwind instrument, but where it was coming from, they could not see.

Suddenly another sound interrupted the melody. A harsher, coarser sound, and yet it fitted perfectly the wrathful mood. A dog's growl.

Six huge black dogs stepped around the boys, surrounding them. Their teeth were bared, and their faces twisted in fierce expressions. Eldarion immediately knew that something was wrong. He had played with many dogs in the City, but those animals felt somehow different. Their eyes were wide and glazed over, as if under a spell.

"Do not fear us, boy," he called to the dog nearest to him. "We will not hurt you."

The beast snarled at him, clearly showing that he was anything but afraid. The horses whined and retreated backwards, towards the center of the circle they had formed. And then, all dogs charged. They jumped forward and their sharp teeth sank into horse flesh, but all six of them had attacked only one of the mounts. Meril, Eldarion's mare.

The horse neighed frightened and tried to kick at the beasts, but they were quicker and always evaded her hooves. Eldarion let go of the reins and clutched at the pommel with both hands, desperately trying to stay on the saddle. From the corner of his eye he could see Baranir slash at one of the dogs with his sword. A red stripe split the black coat, but the wound did not diminish the dog's strength and fierceness.

The melody continued, bold and strong and beautiful, fierce and angry. It reminded the boy of those plays that he had sometimes seen in the royal theatre, in which musicians played during the most dramatic moments to increase the tension.

Eldarion cried as a bolder dog jumped up and was able to scratch his leg. The dogs were attacking only him, but he could see that his friends could not defend him. "Go!" he shouted, unable to keep the panic and tears out of his voice. "Find help!"

The boys seemed to hesitate, but then the young prince turned and his gaze met with Baranir's. Eldarion's eyes were wide and frightened, but his determination was unshaken. "Go," he repeated softly. "I need help."

Baranir nodded, his gaze full of horror, and turned back, galloping towards the city. Gornon followed closely. Eldarion felt his heartbeat accelerate. He was alone.

Suddenly, the music stopped.

-:-

Aragorn leaned back in his armchair, interlacing his fingers in thought. "The price is reasonable, Lord Ghasaan," he said. "But there is something I cannot understand. How are you going to transport the goods here?"

The Haradrim grinned widely and his bright white teeth contrasted sharply with his heavily tanned face. "We have thought of everything, my Lord Elessar. The baskets would be brought by camels through the desert, then moved to horse carts as we reach the plains, and thus taken to where The Poros River flows into the Anduin. Then they would be laden on a ship and taken to your City."

The King seemed uncertain. "This would have made sense if you were transporting wine or dried meat. But these are fruits. The road is long, and the heat is great. They would be rotten by the time they arrive."

Lord Ghasaan laughed. "When I tell you that we have thought of everything, my lord, I mean it. We pick the fruits while they are still green, and then they ripen on the way. I have brought a few samples to show you."

Aragorn was about to reply, when a sharp knock at the door interrupted his train of thoughts. The King frowned. Everyone in the City knew that he had a meeting that should not be interrupted. But as he failed to reply, the knock was repeated urgently. A sudden apprehension found its way into the man's heart, but his appearance spoke none of it. He threw his companion an apologetic smile and called an invitation to whoever was knocking.

He had expected a messenger to enter and bring him news, but what he saw instead made his throat tighten in fear. Arwen was standing at the door, and her eyes were wide and shining. She looked ready to throw herself into his arms, but when she saw the guest, she managed to compose herself and maintain formality.

"I am sorry to interrupt your meeting, my Lord," she said, her voice betraying nothing, "but something has happened, and your presence is needed."

Aragorn nodded, trying to fight his rising panic. "I beg your pardon, Lord Ghasaan. I shall see to this matter and will be back with you as soon as I can."

"Have no worries, Your Majesty," the Haradrim said. "Your lady seems distressed. Take as much time as you need; I am in no hurry."

The King managed a brief nod of gratitude before rushing out of the door.

"What is it?" He asked, even before the door was closed behind them.

Arwen could hold her tears no longer. With a soft sob, she threw her arms around him and buried her face in his chest. "Eldarion-" she started, but her voice broke.

Now Aragorn could hold his panic no longer. Gently, he pushed her back and brushed her tears with the back of his fingers. "Please, dearest, calm down. I am here. Tell me. Tell me everything."

The Queen took a deep breath and seemed to regain control over herself. Her son needed her, and she had to be strong. "Something strange and disturbing happened, but it would be best if you hear the story from Baranir." She took hold of his arm and led him forward, down the corridor. While they were walking, she tried to fill him in with the basics. "Eldarion was out, riding with his friends, when they were attacked by large dogs. The dogs seemed to attack only Eldarion's horse, and Baranir and Gornon were able to run away and search for help. We have sent ten guards already, and Gornon will lead them to the place where it happened. We- we still do not know if they succeeded in reaching Eldarion in time. Baranir remained here to report to you everything that happened."

Aragorn's pace had accelerated as she talked. His first urge was to ride out and help his son, but he had to resist it. If there was anything that could be done by brute force, the guards would manage it. But there was something strangely sinister about this story, and he needed to learn everything first, so that he would know what he was facing.

The King stormed inside the spacious hall, and his gaze immediately fell on the boy. Baranir seemed distressed, and Moriel stood by him, trying to comfort him.

"What kind of dogs were they?" Aragorn started with the questions, wasting no time in idle talk.

Baranir looked up, surprised. "They – they were big," he sobbed. "I had never seen such a breed before, but they were very large and purely black. Perhaps some kind of hunting hounds."

The King frowned. None of this made any sense. Had someone gone hunting and his dogs gone astray? No, hounds were better trained than that; they would never harm a horse or a human. And even if one misbehaved, it would not be a whole group of them."

"How many were they?" He asked.

"Six, Your Majesty." The boy was fighting hard to keep his voice even.

"And did they look as if they were living in the wilds? Did they seem well-cared for? Well-fed?" Aragorn was shooting a question after a question, and the poor boy fidgeted.

"I could not take a good look at them, my Lord, but they seemed well cared for. I – I believe they must have an owner."

Aragorn was silent for a moment, going over the implications in his mind. This meant that this was not simply an attack by savage beasts. If the dogs' owner was behind all this, it could turn out to be a carefully planned assault against the prince. And whoever was responsible for that, he seemed to have trained those dogs especially for the purpose. The man shuddered. He regretted questioning the boy, who certainly looked in need of rest, but there was something else that troubled him.

"Did the dogs attack only Eldarion?"

Baranir nodded, and his eyes filled with tears. "I tried to protect him, my Lord, I swear! I even cut into one of the beasts with my sword, but it kept its focus on Eldarion! I could not divert them!"

"What sword?" Aragorn asked sharply. "I was not aware your father allowed you to carry your sword around." The boy's eyes widened and he blushed, and the man sighed. This would have to wait. There were more pressing matters.

And then a sudden realization made him stagger. Arwen reached out to steady him, but he slipped out of her hold, collapsed on a chair, and buried his face in his hands. "Every single animal is enraged when wounded," he said. "Fight or flee is the most primal survival instinct. If you hurt an animal, it would perceive that it is in danger and do one of two things – either run away, or attack its assailant. You hurt that dog, Baranir, and yet, it did neither. Instead, it ignored the one who presented the immediate threat, and focused its attention on Eldarion. These dogs have been specifically trained to attack my son. And this is not all – they were trained so well that they were ready to ignore their most basic instinct, to give up their own survival, only to follow this order."

Everyone held their breath as the implications sunk it. There was no doubt left that whatever had happened, had been directed against Eldarion.

"This tells us that we are dealing with an unusually skilled dog trainer," Arwen said.

Aragorn stood up and started pacing. "It matters not how skilful he is," he said. "No one, no matter how talented, can train the dogs to attack Eldarion specifically, unless they have met him, or at least know his scent."

Arwen walked to him and placed a hand on his arm. "What if they had something that belongs to Eldarion?" she suggested. "A piece of clothing perhaps, or a shoe? That would have taught the dogs his scent."

He nodded thoughtfully. "That would have been enough. And I see no other possibility even though I am unwilling to believe it. Do you know what this means?"

Arwen paled and leaned in closer towards him. When she spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper. "There is someone in the palace involved."

Aragorn put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. Then he turned towards the nanny. "Moriel, can you tell me who has access to my son's possessions?"

"I am afraid that too many people do, my lord," the girl said. "All the maids that come to clean the room, the carpenter who came last week to fix Eldarion's bed, the servants responsible for the laundry-"

"I see," the King said. "I would ask you two, ladies, to go through Eldarion's possessions and see if anything is missing. You two would know them better than anyone. Then make a list of everything missing, try to find out when it disappeared and who might have taken it. In the meantime, I will go with Baranir to the place where Eldarion was attacked, and see what the guards have found. Even if they have arrived swiftly and my son is safe, we still need to get to the bottom of this to prevent further assaults."

"You can count on us, your Majesty," Moriel said.

"I will come with you now," Arwen whispered tiredly and slowly leaned closer to her husband. "I need to learn of my son's fate as soon as possible. I shall help Moriel when I return."

Aragorn smiled gently. "I had expected nothing else. Come, let us go now for I am anxious for our child. I will prepare some supplies first. If what I fear has come to pass, I might have to spend some days away from the City. Moriel, could you send someone to entertain Lord Ghasaan for the time being? I will give additional orders concerning him as soon as I learn of Eldarion's fate."

"My Lord! Wait!" Baranir suddenly cried. "There is something I forgot to tell you!"

The King and Queen whirled around and started at him. "What is it, my boy?" Aragorn asked.

"There was music in the forest, a strange melody, as if played on a pipe. We heard it right before the dogs attacked, and it continued until after we left."

Arwen looked confused, but Aragorn nodded as if some things had become clearer all of a sudden. "I am grateful that you remembered that in time, Baranir. It might play a role more significant than you expect."

With those words he turned around and walked towards his champers, but paused only to take his pack and then quickly left. When he returned, his pack was empty no longer. Then the King took off the intricate attire meant for formal meetings and put on his travel clothes.

In a minute, Arwen entered, carrying bread and a full waterskin. She took a glimpse of what was inside her husband's pack, and frowned in confusion. "Estel?"

He looked at her and his heart seemed to break. She looked so frightened and lost, so desperate and disconcerted, and he tried to show all of his confidence and determination in his gaze. "I know what I am doing, dearest. Do you not trust me?"

She looked from the strange object in the pack, the meaning of which she could not comprehend, to those grey eyes, which were always filled with love and care when they were turned towards her. But there was something more in that silver gaze this time. There was a steely resolve that she had seen only on rare occasions, and yet she knew that every time her beloved wore that look, everything would end well because he would never give up until it did.

"I trust you."

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**TBC

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_Thanks for reading! You already have enough information to start guessing what happened, so guesses are welcome! If you have no guesses, reviews of any kind are even more welcome._

_Next chapter, __**"Heart of Ice"**__, is coming next week._


	2. Heart of Ice

_Thanks to Linda, Maj, bookworm002, IHeartSam and Laire for reviewing!_

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_**Chapter 2: Heart of Ice**_

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With every step the horses took, Arwen felt her chest grow tighter. She wished to believe that her son was safe with the guards, and yet a part of her could not dare hope. She was terrified of what they could find.

The view that met them did nothing to alleviate her fears. Meril, Eldarion's horse, limped towards them, and all of her legs were covered with bloodied bandages. Fortunately, she seemed to have no broken limbs. The mare was here, and relatively well, but where was the boy?

Gornon sat on a stone, trembling, but no one spared the time to comfort the distraught child. The guards were spread all around the glade, examining the ground and looking for any evidence of what had transpired. When their commander noticed the King and Queen's approach, he stood up and saluted the pair.

"I fear I have grave news, my Liege." He paused and looked sternly at his men, who had momentarily stopped their work to steal a glance at the royal couple. "We saw the dogs' tracks, and an adult man has been here too. The dogs left with him. We found no traces of the Prince. We believe that the man had carried him away."

Arwen swayed on her mount and for a moment thought that she would fall down.

_We believe that the man had carried him away._

_The man had carried him away._

_Carried him away._

Some stranger had taken her son! And now her little boy was in the hands of a man, who had shown nothing to indicate any good intentions!

She felt Aragorn's hand around her own and weakly returned the pressure. The man kept speaking, but the words were barely reaching her. She felt as if she was underwater and all the sounds were distant and muffled.

"We found this," the guard was saying and handing something to Aragorn. "It is sealed with wax and unopened. It is addressed to you."

Arwen saw her husband take the envelope and break the seal. As his eyes ran through the lines, his face turned grave.

"What?" She breathed. "Estel, what is it?"

With a shaking hand, he handed her the letter. She took it and quickly scanned the neatly written lines.

_King Elessar,_

_I have wished to speak with you in years. Unfortunately, I had to take your son. The boy is unharmed, but this will change if I do not see you today. Come alone. If you bring guards along, I will know it, and the child will pay the price._

_I have heard legends about your tracking skills, and I have made no effort to hide my tracks. I shall be awaiting you._

Arwen gasped and the paper fell from her limp fingers. This could not be happening! She had lost her child, and now they wanted to take Estel away from her.

"What are we going to do?" she asked softly.

The King took her hands in his own. "It seems we do not have much of a choice."

She shook her head in violent denial. "You cannot go! This is what this man wants! You will be walking into a trap! I cannot lose both you and Eldarion! I cannot lose you! I cannot-" Her frantic pleas had turned into sobs, and soon she was unable to speak. Then she could feel her beloved's strong arms around her, helping her dismount. Everything seemed to be happening in a thick haze, but when she could think clearly once again, she was on the ground and her husband was holding her.

"Arwen, listen to me," he said, and his voice was gentle, but firm and determined. "I know that this man, whoever he is, wishes me evil, and I will be walking expected on his territory. However," he added with a slight smile, "I believe I know what his strongest weapon is, and I might have an idea how to defeat it." His voice sobered. "I need to bring our son back. But you will not lose me. I promise."

For a moment Arwen stood still, savouring the feeling of safety and comfort in his warm embrace. At last, she pulled back and brushed her tears away. Their child was in danger and there was no time to lose.

"I am sorry, my love," she said. "I know that you need me to be strong and stand by your side, and I am only a burden to you."

"You are never a burden," Aragorn said. "And I shall need your help before this is over."

The Queen nodded determinedly. "I will help Moriel with the task you assigned us. What else do you need me to do?"

He stared at her in amazement. "I would be very grateful if you keep everything in order in my absence. These events should remain secret. We do not want to cause any unnecessary panic. The most urgent task is to finish the negotiations with Lord Ghasaan. You may do it yourself or send Lord Angbor if you do not have the strength. Also, you will find a thick blue book on my desk. There I keep a list of everything I have to attend to. Make sure all is covered. Then send someone you trust to Ithilien to inform Legolas and Faramir of the current situation. Faramir should be prepared to travel to Minas Tirith should… should unexpected complications occur."

Arwen's look changed. "You promised you would return."

He sighed. "I did and I mean to keep my word. But I do not know when. Give me a week, and if I have sent no word, send guards after me. I shall leave signs to mark my passage, and they should be able to follow easily even if it rains and the tracks fade."

She looked at him long and hard. "I give you three days," Arwen said. "And then I will send the men after you."

Aragorn looked as if he was about to argue, but then changed his mind. "Three days it is. I will leave now, but I have one last thing to ask of you."

Arwen took a deep breath. She felt as if her grief had drained her completely and she had no strength left, but Estel managed to be strong in spite of it all, and she would be strong for him. "Anything you wish," she said.

"I want you to stay safe."

Under different circumstances, Arwen would have laughed. "You are walking straight into the hands of an enemy and _you_ wish _me_ to stay safe?" she asked in disbelief.

His eyes were serious. "We are not sure what this man wants of me. He went after Eldarion, and he may go after you. I would feel better if I know that you will be careful."

"I will," she said. "But you must be careful too."

"I made a promise, did I not?" He said with a soft smile. Then he kissed her on the forehead and turned around, disappearing into the woods.

Arwen stared frozen at his retreating back, trying hard to fight the feeling that she would never see him again.

-:-

Eldarion slowly opened his eyes, only to be greeted by impenetrable darkness. Memories started returning to him, and they were all but comforting. He had been riding in the forest with Baranir and Gornon, when they had heard a strange melody, and shortly afterwards they had been attacked by six fierce dogs. His friends had ridden away to look for help, and he was left alone. Then the melody had stopped, and the dogs had hesitated. And then another melody had sounded, calm, soothing, gentle. The dogs had stopped their assault then, and had merely surrounded his horse, waiting. The second melody had stopped as well.

And then a man had walked into the clearing. He had been well-dressed, with tidy dark hair and neatly trimmed beard. Next to him had stood a large white dog, with very long hairs. The man's right hand had been clutching the dog's collar. His left hand had been holding a wooden pipe.

Then the man had approached him and tried to get a hold of him. Eldarion had tried to defend himself, but the man had been stronger. After that, he remembered nothing.

And now he was lying on a bed inside a small and a dark room. His leg was bandaged and throbbed lightly, but the wound was shallow and did not bother him much. The boy stood up and approached the window. It was not yet dusk outside, but the light was nearly completely blocked by the heavy curtain, and no candles were lit. The child pulled the curtains aside and then walked around the room, examining his surroundings.

It was a simple chamber, with a bed, a writing desk, and a wooden chair. The floor was covered by a heavy carpet, and the walls were bare, devoid of any decorations.

Eldarion walked to the door and tried the knob. As he had expected, it was locked. The child sniffed, frightened, and walked back to the bed. Where was he? And why was he here? His gaze turned towards the window, but he could see naught but woods outside. He could be anywhere.

Suddenly, he heard heavy footsteps, and turned towards the door. A key was turned around, and a man stepped in. It was the same man who had met him in the forest, and he was accompanied by the same large white dog. In addition, two black dogs, slightly smaller than the ones who had attacked the three boys, were flanking him, as if they were his personal guards.

"I heard you moving around, Prince Eldarion," the man said. His voice was deep and calm and seemed to hold no malice, but this frightened the child even more. "And I supposed you had awoken. Welcome to my house."

There was something unusual about this man, but the boy could not yet place it. "Where am I? And where are Father and Mother?" Eldarion asked softly. He tried to appear strong, brave and confident, but his voice sounded too lost and terrified even to his own ears.

"You are in the home of Edwin," the man said. "We are still in Gondor, not far to the west of Minas Tirith, still east of the River Erui. Your father is hopefully on his way here. Your mother, I would guess, is staying in the palace."

The boy frowned. This answered none of his questions. And the more he was talking to this man, the more he was unsettled by something about his behaviour that he could not identify. "Why am I here?" he asked, and this time his voice was stronger.

Edwin hesitated, as if wondering if to reply. "Very well," he said at length. "You have done me nothing ill, and yet I am going to kill you. I suppose I owe you an explanation. Perhaps you deserve to know what purpose your death is going to serve."

The boy gasped. His first instinct was to try to run past the man, but the dogs seemed alert and their eyes followed him closely. "You want to kill me?" he asked in shock.

The man shook his head. "I do not want to kill you. But I have to, to achieve a higher purpose."

Eldarion shuddered. The man claimed not to wish to kill him, and yet was ready to do it as a means to a goal. Somehow, this was more terrifying that facing a madman, who might have wished to harm him out of pure malice. The child felt his eyes well up with tears. "Please, don't kill me! I want to go home! Let me go! My father will give you anything you want!"

"Your father _will _give me everything I want," Edwin said calmly, unmoved by the boy's pleas.

"What is it?" The child whispered.

There was something sinister in Edwin's mirthless smile, as he spoke his next words, "His happiness."

"Why are you doing this?" Eldarion sobbed.

The man sat on the edge of the bed and stared blankly at a point next to Eldarion's face. "If you have the patience, I will tell you my story. Then, perhaps, you will be able to understand why I am doing this. Perhaps you will not approve, and yet I believe you will understand."

Eldarion brushed his tears away, angry at himself. This was not the time to whine and behave like a baby! He was a man now, and he had to act like one! He was on his own, but he was strong and would find a way out of this.

For a moment, he wondered what his hero, the greatest man he had even known and whom he admired more than anyone, would do in such a situation. No, he would not cry like a child! He would defeat Edwin and all of his dogs, and would easily escape! But Eldarion did not possess his father's strength and battle skills, not yet, and so he had to rely on other means. But first, it made sense to know the enemy.

"Yes, I would hear your story now," he said. "But do not look at me for understanding."

Edwin smiled sadly. "I am not asking for your judgment. If you wish to hear the story, here it is. Normally, I would have deemed it inappropriate for a boy of your age, but you have only a few more hours to live, and so I would not worry about damaging your innocent mind.

"My story begins years before you were born, Eldarion. After the war, Gondor was thriving, and everyone loved and admired the great and just King Elessar. Everyone had complete faith in him, and whenever the judge in a village was faced with a trial he could not solve, they directed it to the King for a final decision. Why they believed that a man who stood out there, locked in his palace, could see things more clearly than the people directly involved is beyond me." Edwin sighed. "But I am digressing. I meant to start from the beginning, so that you would understand my motives better.

"I was born and raised in a village not far away from the White City. My childhood was happy and uneventful. My most vivid memory is that of my dogs, Bern and Wolf. I have loved dogs for as long as I can remember, and everyone noticed that I was very good with them. Later, I began breeding and training dogs for hunting or guarding. Many were interested in my dogs because they were very well trained. I could teach them any command their owners would want, and the dogs would follow by a single word, a gesture, or a melody. I discovered that a melody was a very good way to control the dogs, make them attack an animal, or calm them down, or make them follow you."

"This is how you commanded the dogs in the forest to attack me, and then to stop," Eldarion said.

The man nodded. "I have become even better at this in the recent years because dogs and my daughter are the only beings I spent time with, and she rarely has the chance to visit me nowadays. But at the time I was still learning. When I was still a young man, I met Araniel, a wonderful woman, who shared my passion. I had never met anyone as talented with dogs as me, but she was one of those who came closest and even taught me a few techniques.

"Not long after we had met, she became my wife and bore me a son, Duilin. He grew up as a good boy, always quick to help, to laugh, to bring joy to his parents. When he was six, we had another child, a beautiful daughter.

"Everything seemed like a fairy-tale. My life could not have been happier. But then, when Duilin was eight, the misfortune befell us. One night, someone had broken into our house and stolen some valuables I had collected over the years. What was worse, they had killed two of my dogs to secure themselves a safe passage."

Edwin sighed and wiped a hand across his face. "I knew that it had to be the brothers Ohtar and Derufin. They were troublemakers and I could not imagine anyone else in the village doing that. I accused them, and the mayor ordered them both arrested.

"They had spent a couple of weeks in the dungeons, when their relatives started complaining and accusing the authorities of injustice. They claimed that there was no evidence against the brothers except for my suspicions, and indeed their house was searched afterwards and none of my missing possessions was found there.

"The mayor was helpless and decided to take the problem to the King. King Elessar reviewed the case, decided that there was indeed no evidence pointing against Ohtar and Derufin, and ordered to have them set free. I knew it was a mistake to allow that to happen, and pleaded with everyone in the village to listen to me, but they did not dare go against the King's orders. The brothers were released."

Eldarion gasped. "And they wanted revenge on you? They wanted to punish you for forcing them to spend this time in the dungeons?"

The man snorted. "I see that you are wiser than your father. Of course they would! I saw it, everyone I knew saw it, everyone except for the King! Yet, never, even in my wildest nightmares, could I imagine how far they would go.

"One night they came to our house while we were sleeping, killed all the dogs, and bound us all. They humiliated me and mocked me in ways I do not wish to remember. And then –" Edwin's voice broke, "then they slit Duilin's throat and forced me to watch! They killed my little boy, and I could do nothing but watch as his blood slowly flowed to the floor, and the light in his bright eyes faded away! He was as old as you are now." Edwin paused, breathing hard. If he could see Eldarion's face, he would have known that the child's cheeks were wet with tears.

But he could not.

At last, Eldarion figured out what was wrong with Edwin. The child had noticed that every time someone talked to him, they would do one of two things – they would either look him in the eyes, or if they were shy, or engulfed in their own thoughts, or hesitant, they would look away. This man was doing neither. Instead, he was staring straight into a spot close to the boy's face, but their eyes never locked. Not a single time.

Edwin was blind. And, Eldarion could now see, the man had been blind for many years for he carried himself with an air of confidence, and his disability was hard to notice unless one looked closely.

"They were not finished with us," the man continued. "After they had killed my son, they said that this would be the last thing I would ever see. Ohtar lit the fireplace and heated his sword until it was glowing red. Next thing I knew, he held it in front of my eyes. All I could see was light brighter than the sun, but it lasted only for a moment. Then there was pain, a pain greater than anything I had ever experienced. And then – then there was nothing. I was never able to see again.

"Perhaps they could have killed me, and perhaps they would have killed my wife and my daughter too. I will never know, for we were rescued. My neighbour had noticed that something was wrong and had sent help. Ohtar and Derufin were properly punished, and the King came to my house himself to apologize for his misjudgement. He sounded sincere, but what good could his regrets do to me? I had lost my little boy and my sight. And it was all because he chose to follow the rules instead of listening to common sense!

"Since then I had to train some of my dogs to do something I had never before trained them to do – lead a blind man around and help him. Both they and I did surprisingly well.

"Araniel and I grew bitter after the loss of our son. We started arguing often, and I could find comfort with her no longer. One day she left me, taking our daughter with her. I could not allow that to happen. I followed her with the dogs and– and they took care of her. She tried to stop them, but I had trained them to respond only to my commands."

Eldarion was staring in horrified disbelief. "You killed your wife!"

"She tried to take away the only thing that I loved," Edwin said, unmoved. "My daughter was all I had left. Luckily, she was only two at the time and does not remember much of what happened. Still, it was hard for a single blind man to raise a daughter. Yet, I did, and she makes me proud."

"And are _you _making _her _proud?" the child asked. "Do you think she would want her father to be what you have become?"

"My daughter knows of my plans and approves them," the man said coldly.

Eldarion pulled his legs on the bed and wrapped his arms around his knees. "And what are those plans?"

"Your father is supposed to come here soon," Edwin replied. "I will capture him easily, using my faithful servants." He patted the white dog on the head. "Then I shall kill you in front of him and blind him with hot metal. I will let him go on with his life, in darkness and pain, knowing the pain that I have known for so many years. Perhaps even his wife would desert him in the time of need as mine did."

Eldarion was frozen in disbelief. "You do not know my mother! You have no idea of what you speak!"

"And you think that you do?" Edwin laughed mirthlessly. "I also believed that I knew Araniel, but she surprised me."

"Not all people are the same," the boy said. "If your misfortune had befallen my father instead of you, he would have never dreamed of inflicting the same pain on anyone else. Do not judge others based on who you are."

"Do not teach me lessons, kid!" The man hissed. "I know about life more than you will ever know!"

"And yet, there is so much that you will never know," Eldarion said.

"Perhaps. But what I do know is that what I had waited for for so many years has finally come to pass. Save your breath, boy. You will need it for your parting words with your father."

Edwin whirled around and left, followed by the dogs. Eldarion heard the dull click, which indicated that the door had been locked. The child glared at the direction his captor had disappeared. If the man thought that he would meekly wait for the horrific plans to unfold, he was gravely mistaken! If there was a way out, he would find it!

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**TBC**

_Next chapter, "Dark Memories" is coming next Saturday. As always, comments are greatly appreciated!_


	3. Dark Memories

_Thanks to Linda, Shelley and Maj for reviewing!

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_**Chapter 3: Dark Memories

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Éowyn's eyes darted between her husband and Legolas, as Arwen shared the distressing news. Both man and elf seemed barely able to remain in their seats, but they all knew that they had to listen patiently to what the Queen had to say, and then decide how to proceed.

Suddenly, the door was flung open, and an overexcited boy ran into the room. "Aunt Arwen!" he cried joyously. "I saw your guards in the hall, and they told me you were here! Is Eldarion with you? He hasn't visited in months!"

Éowyn watched in horror as the Queen turned pale as snow and seemed to stop breathing. She quickly stood up and wrapped an arm around her son's shoulders, gently leading the boy out of the room. "Not now, Elboron," she said softly, trying to hide the strain in her voice. "The Queen has important matters of state to discuss with your father."

"When will I see Eldarion?" the child insisted.

Her heart clenched. "He cannot come here right now, my dear."

Elboron sighed sadly. "May I visit him in Minas Tirith then?"

Éowyn swallowed hard. If Eldarion did not return safely, she had no idea how to break the news to her son. Still, nothing was certain yet and there was no reason to worry the boy. "We might travel to Minas Tirith together one day," she said evasively. "But please, Elboron, we need to talk to the Queen in private now."

The boy nodded, seeming disappointed, and left. With a sigh of relief, the lady walked back inside and closed the door behind her. She walked to Arwen and held her hand. "We will all help with whatever we can," she said.

"I do not know what to do," Arwen whispered, her eyes glistening. "Watching him go was the hardest thing I have ever done. I wished to follow him, but he relies on me to take care of Gondor now, and it felt like betraying his trust. I did not wish him to go alone, but he was right – he had to. The man who now holds Eldarion captive would have probably known that there were others following, and this would have endangered my son. But still, I keep thinking –" She paused, as if wondering if to speak what she had in mind. "Perhaps if some of our men had followed Aragorn, our enemy would have spotted them- but- I still wonder- what if- what if an elf followed him instead- perhaps-"

"I would have done it even if you had not asked it of me," said Legolas even before she had finished her thoughts. "I would have done it even if you had forbidden me to go."

A teary smile graced the Queen's face. "Thank you, my friend."

Éowyn felt a wave of relief wash over her at the thought that the King would not be alone for long. Still, they had lost a lot of time, and who knew where Aragorn was at the time and what was happening to him. She glanced at her husband, who had been silent for some time. Faramir seemed strangely distant, as if deep in thought. She frowned, but said nothing.

"Maybe it will be best if you come with us to Minas Tirith, Faramir," Arwen said. "I hope that the King would not be gone for long, but I would feel better if I could rely on your help."

The Steward was silent for a moment. "Yes… yes, I shall come," he said slowly. "Perhaps that would be best indeed."

Éowyn's confusion was growing. Faramir had sounded unusually hesitant. She glanced briefly at Legolas and the Queen, but both of them seemed too engulfed in their own fears to notice. "You should not worry about Ithilien," she said, hoping that this was the sole reason for her husband's peculiar behaviour. "I will take care of matters while you are gone."

"I know," he replied with a gentle smile that would have dissuaded all of her worries, had she not known him well. But she did know him well.

"Then let us leave at once!" said Legolas. "We have lost enough time already!"

Faramir stood up a little too quickly and left to prepare himself, seemingly unaware of his wife's keen gaze following him closely.

Éowyn closed her eyes as understanding came to her. So be it. She could only hope it was for the better.

-:-

Aragorn leaned against a tree and quickly scanned the letter one more time. "I have wished to speak with you in years" – clearly this man wanted more than to simply speak with him. If he had only wished to talk, he could have requested an audience, and if he strived to have some wish granted, kidnapping the prince was not the best and easiest way to persuade him.

No. Whoever had kidnapped Eldarion, meant no good, and in all likelihood did not plan to let him walk away alive. He had to avoid falling into the man's mercy, and at the same time he had to help his son. The situation seemed bleak, but obviously he was not going to resolve it while waiting, consumed by dark thoughts. Aragorn folded the letter once again and knelt down to examine the tracks.

A shrill whistle was the only warning he had. The former ranger was on his feet with an unsheathed sword in his hand in the blink of an eye. Yet, it was not fast enough. A blur of dark fur jumped towards him with a deep growl. Aragorn raised his sword to meet his assailant, but the beast was not alone. Even as he defended himself against the enormous dog, a great weight landed on his back, knocking him over, face down against the hard ground. He tried to roll over, but there was something heavy on top of him, pinning him down. Sharp claws scratched at his back, tearing at leather, cotton and skin. He suppressed a cry when sharp teeth sank into his leg, his upper arm, his shoulder…

All he could hear above the wrathful growls was the panicked racing of his own heart and the short gasps that escaped his lungs at a dashing speed he could not control. He could not move. Large clawed paws were keeping him down, pressing on his back, his legs, his arms, his head. Myriads of sharp objects tore at his flesh at every moment, giving him no break, and he could not defend himself against the onslaught. The pain from little and larger wounds mingled together, nauseating him, suffocating him. The air was heavy with the smell of blood.

A soft moan of pain at last left his throat, and was soon followed by another. He could no longer remember why he had tried to restrain himself in the first place. His vision was beginning to swim, and the blood, sweat and tears in his eyes blinded him. But worst of all was the helplessness. Was this how a deer felt, after it had been shot down by an unskilled hunter who had wounded it but not killed it with one shot, and who now waited for the final blow to come? Waiting was all Aragorn could do. Wait until one of the dogs was merciful enough to bite into his neck. He felt that it would not be long.

And yet, waiting was the one thing that he could not do. He fought against the large bodies pressing him down. He fought with all his might. He fought. Or, at least, he tried to. But no matter what he did, he could not move even a hairbreadth in any direction.

Was this how the King of Gondor would end? Torn into pieces in a distant forest, never to be found or heard of again? And even if he was found, his body would soon be mangled beyond recognition.

And then, above it all, above the barking and the grows, above his own cries of pain that he could no longer hold back, he heard the last thing he had expected to hear. Music.

The melody was hauntingly beautiful, soft and calming, easing the tension and throwing all cares away. Aragorn was aware that something in his situation had changed, but he could not yet realize what. And then he knew it – the dogs had stopped biting him. They simply held him down, waiting.

As suddenly as it had appeared, the music stopped. Next thing he knew, there was another weight on his shoulder, but this time it felt different. It moved to his neck, and then, without a warning, a hand grabbed his hair and jerked his head backwards. Aragorn could not help a gasp of pained surprise.

"We meet again, Your Majesty," a voice hissed in his ear. The man's face was behind him and Aragorn could not see him. "I apologize for the poor welcome my friends have given you. You have come alone as I requested. Good."

"Where is my son?" Aragorn gasped, slowly remembering why he had come here.

"You are in no position to ask questions," the stranger said. "But worry not, you will learn everything you need in time. Your son is well for the time being, except for the little scratch on the leg he received during the attack."

Aragorn felt red hot anger boil inside of him. "You said he was unharmed!"

"Did I? Ah yes, the letter. I apologize for the misunderstanding; the letter was written before the attack, and I did not know that your son would be hurt. My daughter wrote it for me. You see, I cannot write." There was something strange in the man's voice, something that Aragorn could not describe. "I have been blind for twenty years."

Blind. This new information carried into Aragorn's fuzzy mind, together with the voice that he was now hearing. It triggered something there, a distant memory, a face, and a name. The memory was something he did not wish to recall. The face had just materialized in front of him. And the name –

"Edwin?"

For a moment, the man seemed taken aback. "You remember me?" he whispered in wonder. "It was twenty years ago and you – you still remember me?"

"Of course I remember you," said Aragorn, and his voice was laden with pain. "I was the one who unwittingly caused you so much hurt. Your story never stopped haunting me."

A new emotion appeared on Edwin's face. Surprise? Doubt? Regret? But it was gone as quickly as it had come. "And it will keep haunting you," he promised softly. "What I will do to you soon will keep haunting you for years to come, as nothing had haunted you before. But rest now, save your strength for the horror I have prepared for you."

Edwin took out a piece of cloth and pressed it against his face. Before Aragorn could dwell on the man's last words, a strong scent entered his nostrils and the world faded into black.

-:-

The elf moved soundlessly through the forest, not stopping even for food or water. He had been taken to the glade where the dogs had attacked Eldarion, and from then on the path had been easy. Aragorn had left clear signs for his men to follow if needed, and Legolas had made good progress without the need to stop and read tracks. And for that he was glad as he could not help the dark feeling that their time was running short.

This was madness! Aragorn was walking straight into the hands of the enemy with no hope for a favourable resolution! The captor had clearly specified that Eldarion would be harmed if Aragorn did not arrive alone, but had never said that the child would be released if he did!

Yet, he knew that the man had had no choice, and no parent in his stead could have done anything different. But still Legolas wished that he had been there and had followed sooner.

A soft sound behind him took him out of his musings. Legolas continued his hurried walk forward at the same pace, never looking back. If he had any pursuers, he did not wish to alert them that he was aware of their presence. At the same time, however, the elf concentrated on listening for anything unusual happening behind him.

Indeed, soon he could hear it more clearly. Footsteps. Too heavy for an elf and too light for a dwarf. Too hesitant for a regular traveller. It was not hard to guess – a man, who wished to remain unseen.

The elf felt his heartbeat accelerate, but showed no outward signs of his growing apprehension. The man was watching him, perhaps preparing a trap. He was far away from the glade now, and so perhaps he had already reached the enemy's territory. He could not passively wait for an ambush! He was aware of his pursuer, and the man did not know this yet. Thus, Legolas had the element of surprise on his side, and he was planning to use it.

The elf spotted a large rock further along the path, and continued confidently forward, as if he had no doubts and fears in this world. But after he disappeared behind the rock, he did not go on, but stood and waited, unsheathing one of his twin blades.

The footsteps were growing more distinct. The man was approaching. His grasp on the hilt tightened and he felt adrenalin surge through his system. Legolas had not been in a real fight for years, but at this moment he felt as if he had fought every single day of the past decade. Whoever came behind that rock, he would face him.

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**TBC

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_Elboron's age probably seems wrong to you. This is because the story is AU in terms of Elboron's and Eldarion's birth years. Details will be explained at the end of the story._

_Next chapter, "More Than Duty", is coming next Saturday._

_Reviews are greatly appreciated! _


	4. More Than Duty

_This chapter was delayed for a variety of reasons. Now I am back to posting every week._

_Thanks to Maj, Linda, LisaG16, Terelex and Legolas lover for reviewing!

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_**Chapter 4: More Than Duty

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Closer! Almost here! Legolas could hear the man's breathing already. A quick move, an arm around a surprised opponent, a knife pressed tightly against the throat. An angry hiss. "What do you want from me?"

"L-Legolas?"

The elf dropped his knife and jumped a step back. "Faramir! What do you think you are doing here? I could have killed you!"

The man was silent for a moment. He seemed taken aback and hesitant, as if he had planned all possible scenarios of this adventure, but not this one. "I had to go after Aragorn," he said at length.

"You had to?" the elf asked in disbelief.

"I _needed _to," the man amended softly. "He saved me once. I cannot idly wait while he is in danger."

Legolas ran a hand through his hair. "And who, pray tell, is in charge of the kingdom while you are away?"

"I believe the ladies will manage well in my absence," the Steward said.

"The Ladies!" cried Legolas. "And what if we take another hundred steps and then find Arwen and Éowyn following us? Do you not think that they also want to follow Aragorn? We can only hope that their sense of duty is greater than yours."

Faramir looked down and clenched his fists nervously, and for a moment Legolas regretted his harsh words. Truth be told, he was glad that the Steward was here. On one hand, his heart was overjoyed that Aragorn had won such a true friend. But what was more important, even if harder to admit, he preferred not to be alone in case – in case they discovered something he did not yet wish to consider.

"It matters not now," he said calmly. "You are here, and I have no intention of sending you back. We need to be careful, though. The captor specified that he did not want anyone following Aragorn, and Arwen chose me because she believed that I could go undetected. If you are to come with me, you will need to be silent and unnoticeable."

The man had still not looked up. "Perhaps you are right," he muttered. "My first duty is to Gondor. I have no right to desert my responsibilities and do what my heart tells me to."

"Aragorn _is_ Gondor," Legolas said. "By following him and helping him, you are fulfilling your duty to your land."

The Steward did not seem convinced. "I am not here because of duty," he admitted.

"Neither am I, Faramir," the elf said with a soft smile. "Neither am I."

The man looked up then, and slowly returned the smile. "We understand each other then," he said, but suddenly frowned. "Do you realize how absurd this is? The Prince and only Heir of the throne is kidnapped, the King goes to save him himself, and the Steward and the Lord of Ithilien follow. If anything should happen to all of us, Gondor is left leaderless."

The elf's smile did not fade. "I prefer to look at it in another way. How do you like this? A child is kidnapped, and his father goes to save him. Two of the father's good friends follow."

Faramir nodded. "I like this version much better."

"So do I," said Legolas. "But come now! We have no time to -"

He had not finished his sentence, when a strange music filled the air. The melody was beautiful, and yet dark, filled with silent anger, and yet the rage seemed somehow restrained, building up, but refusing to be released.

The man and elf exchanged a glance. Legolas picked up the knife that he had dropped and unsheathed its twin.

Seemingly out of nowhere, large dark dogs began to appear around them. Their teeth were bared and they were growling softly, but none of them made a move to attack.

Suddenly, a man walked out of the woods. With both hands he held a wooden pipe, on which he played the intricate melody. There was a large white dog next to him. It was on a leash, and the end of the leash was tied to the man's belt.

The man stopped playing and lowered his pipe. The dark dogs seemed restless, but a short command from him made them stand still. "I heard you mention the King," the man said and Legolas frowned. They had not spoken so loudly, and the man had not been so close. "I told the King to come by himself. He had disobeyed my wishes. I am very displeased."

Legolas fought hard to keep his composure. How had he allowed this to happen? Apparently the dogs had sensed him, which was something he had not foreseen, and this was his fault entirely. But still, something did not make sense. He had not heard the man's approach before the melody, and yet, the man had heard him. True, the man had been silent and he and Faramir had been talking, and yet their enemy's hearing was unnaturally good. "The King does not know that we are here," he said. "We have come against his wishes."

"It matters not," said the man. "My wishes have been violated and someone has to pay. And I have a good idea who." He took off his pack and produced a richly decorated hunting dagger.

Legolas's heart stopped as he recognized it immediately. The elf could hear Faramir gasp behind him. "What have you done to him?" the Steward demanded angrily.

"He still lives," the man replied. "But this may change if you do not surrender."

The elf's eyes hardened. "We have not come here to willingly hand ourselves in. You hope to scare us with this?" He gestured toward the dogs around him. "I have faced worse enemies and triumphed." Legolas had no desire to kill those dogs whose only fault was that they had been trained to serve their master, but if this was the way to save Aragorn, he would do it. This was not his first war, and in a war, sometimes innocents died.

"Are you sure?" The man asked with a grin. He gave a short whistle and in a moment more dogs walked out from among the trees. And they were followed by even more. An entire army. They were so many that Legolas started wondering if his victory was as certain as he had believed. "Let us say that you indeed manage to defeat all my dogs. Even then, the battle will slow you down. While you are fighting, I will have plenty of time to return to my house, and even if you miraculously win, by the time you have arrived, you would be too late to save your king."

"If any harm comes to him, you will live to regret it!" Legolas snarled.

The man laughed. "And this threat is coming from someone who can be torn into pieces if I only give my command! You are hardly in a position to make demands."

"And what demand do _you _make?" Faramir asked, his voice hard.

"All I want from you is to surrender and to avoid a bloody massacre. I believe I can capture you anyway, but I will lose dogs in the fight, and I wish to avoid that. Give up now, and you will avoid unnecessary pain and wounds. I will give you the King's life in return. I give you my word that if you surrender now, he will be released by the end of this day."

Legolas's grip on his knives' handles tightened. None of this made any sense. This man had gone through so much trouble to capture Aragorn; why would he be willing to simply release him in return of their freedom? It was the king that this man wanted, and not them. "You do not expect us to trust your word, do you?"

The man did not seem offended. "What you trust or do not trust is your own business. I told you the truth – if you surrender now, your precious king will be released tonight. If not – I already told you that if you choose to fight my dogs, even if you win, I would still be able to return home before you and make sure that you would not find him alive."

The elf felt anger boil inside of him and he wanted nothing more than to unleash it in battle. He wanted his blades to twirl, to slash, to destroy. And yet, he knew that such blind rage would not help anyone. "Faramir, what should we do?" he asked, not even trying to keep his voice low. He knew that the man could hear him anyway.

"I do not trust him," the Steward said. "But I can see no choice. Even if we fight the dogs now, we cannot help Aragorn."

The elf sighed. "So be it," he said and with a heavy heart dropped his weapons. He could hear Faramir behind him do the same.

"Are they weaponless now?" The man asked and Legolas frowned. Who was he talking to?

Soft footsteps were heard and a figure stepped out of the woods. It was a young woman, leading two horses. She was dressed in a long, sea-blue gown, and her long raven hair was unbound. Her face was stern and proud, and the similarity with the man next to her was unmistakable.

"Yes, father," she said. "What would you have me do now?"

The elf's confusion grew before it suddenly daunted on him. The man had asked if they had dropped all of their weapons because he could not see them. He was blind. And perhaps he had been blind for years, and his lack of sight had heightened his other senses, which explained the better hearing.

"Bind them and prepare them for the journey home," the man said.

The woman walked to them, and the dogs stepped aside to make way for her. She held the elf's hands and bound them tightly with a rough rope. He did not resist. Then she moved to do the same with Faramir. After they were both bound, she took out a small vial and poured its contents on a handkerchief. Before Legolas could realize what was happening, he was surrounded by a strong smell, and the world seemed peculiarly far away. But before all had faded completely, he could hear his captor's words.

"You fools. I see that the king's friends are as dim-witted as he is. Have you no idea how to lead negotiations? First of all, I said that I would leave the king alive if you surrendered, but did I ever say that I would not do it if you refused? I only told you that I _could_ kill him if I wished, not that I _would_. I would have released him tonight anyway, and your act did nothing to change his fate. Second, I said that I would leave him alive, but did I say that he would be unharmed? And third, did I say that I would let the prince live? Or you two for that matter?"

The man kept talking, but Legolas could hear no more as all sounds and pictures faded into nothingness.

-:-

"He is waking up."

"Legolas?"

The elf cracked his eyes open, and briefly wondered if they were open indeed. For a moment, he was unable to see a thing, but soon his sight adjusted to the meager light and he examined his surroundings. He was sitting on the floor, his hands and feet bound, his back against the stone wall. He was inside a spacious room with almost no furniture. There was a wooden table with nothing on it, no chairs, no wardrobes or chests. A large, unlit fireplace decorated the opposite side of the room. There was a wide window, and Legolas could see that the sun was beginning to set. It was definitely too dark for comfort, and yet no one had bothered to light any candles. But when memories returned to him, it all started to make sense. If their captor was indeed blind as he believed, whether there was light in the house or not would make no difference to him.

His gaze turned to his right, and was met by Faramir's relieved face. "It is good to see you awake, Legolas," the man said. "It seems this girl was worried to see an elf and sedated you more heavily than she did me."

More and more memories were returning to the elf's still somewhat foggy mind, and none of them were particularly encouraging. "Aragorn?" he whispered urgently, and there was a hint of panic in his voice.

"I am here, my friend."

Legolas would have jumped in surprise if not for his bonds. The elf whirled around and was unable to stifle a gasp at what he saw.

Aragorn was also tightly bound although it seemed that there was hardly any need of the ropes. His clothes were covered in a mixture of fresh and dry blood and were torn so viciously that it was a surprise that they still clung to his body. There were numerous bloodied bandages around his legs, arms and chest, but the elf could still see plenty of wounds that had remained untreated. Aragorn's hair was filthy with soil, blood and sweat, and was sticking to his head and face. There was a deep scratch going from the man's brow down to his cheek, barely missing his eye.

Legolas's eyes widened in shock and horror. "_Ai_, my friend!" he cried. "What has this monster done to you?"

"Not him," said Aragorn. "It was his hounds." The elf shuddered, gruesome images coming unbidden to his mind as he imagined how the numerous wounds were inflicted. "As for Edwin," the mad continued sadly, "I fear I was the one to turn him into a monster."

"This is nonsense, sire!" The elf heard Faramir say and turned around to face the Steward. The man's face was twisted in rage. "You cannot blame yourself for that beast's madness! What you did at the time seemed right and every wise man in your stead would have done the same!"

"You know that man?" asked Legolas softly, turning back to the king.

Aragorn sighed tiredly, closed his eyes and leaned his head against the wall. "Faramir, please, tell him what I have told you. I have no strength left to repeat this story once again."

And Legolas listened silently to a tale so horrific that it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. The Steward's voice was soft and eerie in the semi-darkness and painted images that the elf hoped to one day erase from his mind forever.

"How can so much pain be inflicted upon one man in such a short time?" he whispered in dismay.

Faramir's gaze darkened. "Do not tell me that you pity him too!"

The elf was taken aback. Faramir was the most sensitive and gentle man he had ever met, and was usually the first to offer sympathy and comfort to strangers even if they had done nothing to deserve it, and to give understanding and forgiveness even to those who had committed the most appalling crimes.

"I cannot but pity someone who had suffered so much, even if I am revolted by his current acts," Legolas said.

The fire in the Steward's eyes could have burned holes in the wall if it was wooden and not made of stone. "Look at what he has done to Aragorn! Whatever punishment he had been given in the past, he has now committed the crime to deserve it!"

"Faramir!" said Aragorn sharply and opened his eyes. "What has gotten into you, my friend?" he added, his voice turning gentler. "No crime could have called for such a punishment and you know it."

The man did not seem appeased. "Forgive me, my lord, but I cannot bear seeing you like this! You are the last person to deserve such treatment!"

In spite of their current predicament, Legolas felt warmth spread through his heart as he observed the Steward's fierce loyalty. "You speak true, Faramir, and do not mistake my pity for forgiveness. I can never forgive that man for what he has done to Aragorn, and will always hate him for it."

The king sighed in exasperation. "And now you are on _his_ side? Legolas, I was counting on you to show more sense. Clearly Edwin has suffered enough already and does not deserve your hatred on top of it all."

"I fear, my friend, that when it comes to someone who has hurt you, there is only one side Faramir and I can take," Legolas said. "But all of this is pointless now. We should rather focus our thoughts on how to get out of here. This man, Edwin, said that he would release you tonight if we surrendered. Has he said anything on the matter?"

"No," Aragorn said tiredly and rested his head against the wall once again. The man looked barely able to keep his eyes open, and it was no wonder. "He only came here to bring you and Faramir, but refused to answer any of my questions and only said that I would learn all I needed to know in time. He had not been back ever since."

As if the conversation had summoned their captor, approaching footsteps were suddenly heard and in a moment the door was unlocked and opened. The elf's eyes narrowed as Edwin stepped inside, accompanied by the white dog. "I heard your voices," he said. "It seems everyone is awake. Good."

"You said you would release the King tonight," Legolas hissed.

"I will," said the man. "I always keep my word. But before that, there is still something that I need to do." He walked to the fireplace, and soon tall flames were dancing merrily. Legolas could not help but admire this man. Despite his disability, he was moving around with an air of confidence and a casual observer would have never noticed his blindness. How did he know where the fireplace was? Or the door? Or anything? Perhaps he knew everything inside this house by heart, had counted numerous times how many steps it would take it go here and there, had a map of the place inside his mind and knew exactly where he was at any time. One needed a certain strength of spirit to achieve that, and this was what confused the elf the most. If Edwin possessed this kind of strength, why was he unable to find the strength to forgive Aragorn for something that was not even his fault? Why did he not try to find meaning in what he still had in this life, in his dogs, in his daughter, instead of in misplaced hatred and desire for revenge?

Still, there was something that unnerved him terribly. Why had the man lit the fire? It was warm enough, and Edwin was obviously in no need of light. Then why?

"I shall let you walk out of here unhindered, Your Majesty," the man continued. "But not before I have shown you the pain that I have lived with for years. Not before I have killed your son in front of you, and then burnt your eyes in the manner I was blinded. Only then you will be free to leave."

A wave of nausea washed over the elf and whatever pity he had ever felt for this man vanished. Surely he could not mean to do that!

"Eldarion!" Aragorn whispered in horror. His face had turned white as a ghost, and his eyes were burning with a feverish light. "Edwin, please, do not touch my son! Whatever grievances you have are with me! My boy has done you nothing wrong! Please, I beg you, do with me whatever you want, but do not harm Eldarion!"

"And _my_ boy has done nothing wrong either, but still he died because of your poor judgment," Edwin said, his voice hard. "Do not look at me for justice. I have learned long ago that even those most innocent can still die." He turned back and walked towards the door.

"Edwin, please! Please, wait! I beg you, do not hurt my son! Blind me if you wish, and never release me, keep me a prisoner here forever! Feed me to your dogs if you wish, but do not touch Eldarion!" Aragorn fought against his bonds like a trapped wild beast, not even attempting to hide the tears streaming freely down his face, but the man ignored him and walked out, shutting and locking the door behind him.

The elf crawled and scrambled, frantically trying to move closer to Aragorn. The bonds were making the task painstakingly slow, but he was not about to give up. Legolas could hear that Faramir behind him was attempting to do the same. He blinked, trying to keep his own tears at bay.

Aragorn was still struggling against his bonds, trying to move towards the door. Sweat was beading on his forehead, and it was obvious that only mere will and desperation were keeping him going. Legolas was close enough already, but his hands were bound behind his back and there was little he could do. So he simply bent forward, resting his forehead against his friend's shoulder.

"Estel, please, listen to me!" he whispered fiercely. "Do not despair yet! Eldarion lives and you live! Please, you have to be strong, we will find a way out!"

Aragorn sagged down as if all his strength had suddenly left him. The elf moved to give him support before he had collapsed to the floor.

"He said he will kill Eldarion!" The man gasped. His tears were choking him, and he tried to take a deep breath, which resulted in a ragged coughing fit.

"Shhh, I know, I know," Legolas said softly. "But if we give in to grief now, we will allow him to do it. We must be strong now, and must try to find a solution. Eldarion has only us to count on. If we do not help him, no one will."

"There is no way out, Legolas," the man whispered in a hoarse voice. "There is no way we can help my son."

"Do not speak such things!" said Legolas determinedly. "While Eldarion lives, there is hope!" But even as he said the words, he knew that Aragorn had spoken the truth. There was no way out.

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**TBC

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_Reviews are greately appreciated!_


	5. Revenge

_Thanks to Sarah, Luna Elen, iccle fairy and Maj for reviewing!

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_**Chapter 5: Revenge

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A key turned inside the keyhole and Eldarion stood up from the bed. He angrily brushed away the tears that had treacherously flowed down his cheeks – he was a man now and had to act like one! The child took a step forward and glared at the door even though he knew that the man who would soon come in could not see the defiance in his gaze. But perhaps he could feel it, and this was what the boy was hoping for.

But instead of Edwin, a woman came in. She wore a long blue dress, and an azure scarf was wrapped around her head, so that Eldarion could not see her face well. She was carrying a tray, laden with bread, cheese, meat and fruits. There was a lit candle on the tray, and the child stared at the light greedily. This was the first source of light he had seen since he had entered this house. It seemed that this woman hated the darkness that lingered here as much as he did.

"I brought you some food," she said softly and placed the tray on the table. Her voice seemed to waver, but the child wondered if he had only imagined it.

"Why?" he asked. "Edwin said he would kill me tonight."

The woman was silent for a moment, as if at a loss of words. "We are no monsters," she said at last. "It is your father's crime that we are punishing, and you are but an innocent victim. We would wish to make your last hours as pleasant as possible."

_Your last hours. _All of the child's resolve seemed to crumble, and tears flowed down his cheeks anew. "Please, don't kill me!" he cried and clenched at her dress with his little fists. "Why are you doing this?"

The woman trembled slightly, but held her ground. "Because he is my father," she said simply.

Eldarion's eyes widened in the semi-darkness as he realized who the woman was. "You are his daughter!" he breathed. "And you are helping him? But why? Do you not know how your mother died?"

"I know more than you presume," said the young woman, and her voice was hard. "Why do I help him, you ask? This man has given me everything. He has cared and provided for me since I was a small child, and has given me all the love in the world. I have seen him being consumed by this hatred, by this desire for revenge, and I would see an end to this, even if it means hurting you and your father."

Eldarion had stopped listening, and his eyes were now fixed on the hypnotizing light of the candle. Suddenly, he jumped forward, and pushed the tray. Bread, cheese and apples all rolled to the floor, but among them rolled the little candle, still burning. The flames caught at the old carpet and quickly started spreading.

With a cry, the woman fell on her knees, trying to suffocate the flames with her skirt. Eldarion quickly took off his tunic and held it above the flames until it caught fire. Then he rushed at the door, which was still open.

He found himself in a long and a dark corridor. There were tapestries on the wall, and the child brought the burning cloth to them. The flames ate at the old material hungrily, and Eldarion resumed his race. He was doing well in setting the house on fire, but he had to get out quickly before the flames had consumed him as well.

Suddenly, an object on the far wall caught his attention. There, on a nail hung the pipe that Edwin used to play the music and control the dogs. The boy grabbed it and broke it against his knee, throwing the useless pieces onto the ground. A soft thud was heard, followed by a loud growl. Eldarion froze and slowly turned around. One of Edwin's hounds was staring at him, its teeth bared. The child raised his still burning tunic and took a step in his enemy's direction.

-:-

Legolas turned to glare at the door, as he heard footsteps approaching. Edwin entered, accompanied by the white dog and several of the black ones. There seemed to be distress and regret on his face.

"I have been planning this for twenty years," the man said softly. "And now it is all over. I am sorry, my Lord Elessar, but I am unable to execute the punishment I had planned for you."

Hope seemed to flare in the king's eyes, but it died as quickly as it had appeared, extinguished by the man's next words. "Your fool of a son tried to escape. I fear my dogs reached him before I did. I was unable to stop them." The man paused, as if enjoying the sharp intake of breath he must have heard. "The little prince is dead."

The scream of rage and anguish that tore from Aragorn's lungs made Edwin take a step backwards, and his dark dogs growled threateningly. "You lie!" The king panted, his breaths quick and ragged, laboured with pain and tears. "You lie, you filth! My son lives!" He paused, suffocated by violent sobs. "Eldarion! He is only a child! Let me see him! I want to see my boy!"

Legolas struggled against his bonds, desperately trying to find a way to keep the injured man from wounding himself any further. But even as he did, he felt that his own face was wet. The sweet, cheerful child, so full of life and laughter, dead? He could feel his own heart shatter in pain and horror, not only for the innocent life lost, but also for what this would mean for the royal family. And then, suddenly, a thought struck him. "The king speaks true, does he not, Edwin?" he said in an icy voice, drawing everyone's attention to him. "You lie. The child lives."

Aragorn seemed to stop breathing and such hope shone in his eyes at that instant that the elf's heart broke. He hated to give his friend any false hopes and could only hope that his guess was correct. "You have complete control over those dogs. I have seen it. They are superbly trained, and would never attack or harm Eldarion unless you have ordered it. And you would never order such a thing as you needed the boy alive to kill him in front of his father." His voice was laden in disgust. "You had planned this too long and too hard to allow such a thing to happen. And yet, a part of what you said was true. The boy did attempt an escape, and his escape was successful."

"You speak nonsense!" Edwin hissed. "How could a child escape a house guarded by an army of dogs?"

Legolas had to admit that this seemed like an impossible feat, even for a boy as resourceful and brave as Eldarion, and yet he was unwilling to give up. "In the short time that I have known you, Edwin, I could learn much of you and your hatred. And I have learned this – you were prepared to kill the boy in front of his father. If the boy was indeed dead, you would not have hesitated to bring the body here and taunt the king. Yet, you bring nothing. This means that you have no body."

"The only reason I do not bring the body is because my dogs were hungry when they got to the boy. All I have left is bloodied bones. But if you insist, I might go back and bring those to you."

Legolas had to fight the sudden urge to retch. With horror, he noticed that Aragorn's face was paler than the moon, and silently cursed himself that the wicked game he had been playing with Edwin had added to his friend's pain. A part of him firmly believed that their captor was bluffing, and he was tempted to demand to see the body, and yet he knew that the possibility that Edwin was telling the truth, however slim, still existed, and this made him hesitate. If the man was indeed in possession of the child's remains, and they looked the way he had described them, the elf would do anything to spare Aragorn this sight.

"No," he whispered barely audibly. "That would not be necessary."

"You have sealed your fate, Edwin!" Faramir cried, and Legolas suppressed a shudder. He had never heard such fury in the Steward's voice before. "Soon all of Gondor will be after you! And if you care not for yourself, what of your daughter? She is as guilty as you are and her punishment will be no less severe!"

"You will never capture my daughter," Edwin replied calmly. "Only the two of you have seen her face, and neither of you is walking out of here alive."

There was a loud gasp, and all eyes, except their captor's, turned towards Aragorn. "Edwin," he spoke, and his voice was strangely strong and composed, even if his face was still wet. "It is I alone who had harmed you, and I alone who deserve your revenge. You have hurt my son already, but I beg you, keep my friends out of this."

The man spat at his feet and his face was twisted in disgust. "What kind of a father are you? I tell you of your son's death, and yet you forget it quickly and care about someone else instead?"

Legolas felt his blood boil in anger. "Do not seek to understand what is beyond your limited brain, you fool!" he said harshly, ignoring the warning look that Aragorn shot in his direction. "The grief that he feels now is no less strong than the pain you felt when your son died! But he will never let it darken his noble heart and consume it with rage, as you did. His heart is great enough to hold love for many beings, and he can care for others even when his own soul is ripped out of him, but this is something that the likes of you will never understand!"

"Legolas, please!" Aragorn whispered urgently. His moist eyes showed deep gratitude, but his head slowly shook in warning. "Edwin, forgive my friend's words. They come from his heart, but are undeserved. I know that you are a loving father, and now you have the chance to prove that you love your daughter no less than you have loved your son. Imagine what you are condemning her to – a life of hiding and constant danger. Is that how you wish her to live? And even if she is not captured by my men, what if you are? Do you wish to leave her alone in this world? I do not believe so. This is what I propose. Let my companions go unharmed, and you will not be pursued for what you have done to me and my son. You will be left to live in peace."

"I killed your son and you will seek no revenge?" Edwin cried in disbelief.

"And what would you expect me to do?" Aragorn said. "Try to kill your daughter to hurt you? Perhaps then you would attempt to kill my wife? Once you enter the vicious cycle of revenge and blood-for-blood, there is no way out. One has to stop before it has lead to any more bloodshed. Besides," he added softly. "I want my companions alive. I would not have sought revenge on you, Edwin, but I would have sought justice. But now I will forget justice too. Let them live, and I give you my word than neither you nor your daughter will receive any punishment for what you have done."

"You cannot promise him such a thing, my lord!" Faramir hissed in contempt. "For as long as I live, his life would be in danger! I would strange him with my own hands!"

"Faramir." Aragorn's voice was laden with sadness. "I can barely recognize you, my friend. You have the gentlest heart of all men; please do not follow the dark path of hatred because of me."

"I am sorry for causing you further grief, sire," the Steward said bitterly, "but this man deserves justice. I would not have my life bought at such a price."

"You have a wife and a son," Aragorn said. "You need to take care of your boy..." He paused. "For I had failed to take care of mine."

"_I still do not believe that Eldarion is dead, Estel_," Legolas said in Sindarin.

"_Neither do I_," added Faramir in the same tongue.

"_Then why did you tell him you did not need the body as a proof?" _Aragorn asked, but understanding suddenly seemed to come to him, for his lips curled into a sad smile. "You worry too much about me, my friend." He then turned towards Edwin even though the man could not see which way he was facing. "I wish to see my son."

"What?" Their captor frowned, surprised at first.

"You said you had his… his remains," said Aragorn, trying to keep his voice steady and failing miserably. "I wish to see the body."

"You will not see your son again, nor anything else for that matter," Edwin hissed. "This has gone on for long enough!" He walked towards Aragorn with fast, purposeful strides. His hands searched in the air for a moment, trying to locate his prey. The king made no move to evade the blind man, and soon Edwin's fingers were clutching his hair. The man dragged his captive across the room and towards the fireplace, ignoring the desperate cries, pleas, and threads coming from the Steward and the elf.

Edwin roughly pushed Aragorn to his knees and reached towards the wall, retrieving a short sword. However, he made no move to cut his captive, but held the blade above the flames instead, until it was red with heat.

Legolas felt his heart beating so forcefully against the confines of his chest, that he briefly wondered how it had not broken free. "Edwin, I swear, if you do this, I will make you regret the day you were born," he hissed dangerously even if a rational part of his mind that he tried to suppress was telling him that he was making empty threats. He swallowed, pushing his pride aside. "Please, do not do this! If there is anything I can do for you – _anything – _I will do it! Do not do this to him, I beg you!"

But the man paid him no heed and proceeded with what he was about to do. Aragorn did not struggle. He raised his head and for a second his glistening eyes met the elf's. Edwin grabbed his hair and pulled his face up. Then he raised the red hot metal and neared it to his captive's eyes. It was held there for only a few moments, when Aragorn gave out a loud cry of pain and slumped forward, his eyes closed. Edwin barely managed to move away the blade and avoid burning the king's face. It was done. Aragorn was blind.

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**TBC**


	6. Friendship is Never Enough

_Thanks to iccle fairy, Sarah, OhShirleyUJest and Linda for reviewing!_

_A note to everyone still reading "The Only Way to Kill the Dragon":__ I am terribly sorry for making you wait so unreasonably long. The truth is, my muse has been uncooperative lately. Still, I have no intention of abandoning the story and it will be finished eventually.

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_**Chapter 6: "Friendship is Never Enough"

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Legolas felt a cry of anguish, rage and despair tear his own throat raw, and it mingled with Faramir's cry. "You monster!" He heard himself screaming as he felt strangely detached from his body and at a loss of control over what he was saying. "You demon! You filth! I will kill you! I will kill you for this!" Tears were streaming down his face, and his sobs suffocated him. But in a moment care and grief took over the hatred and rage. "Estel?" he whispered softly. "Aragorn, I am here. We are here. Please, speak to us, my friend."

Aragorn raised his head and the elf released a breath he had not realized he had been holding. He was half-expecting to see empty sockets staring back at him, but the man's eyes seemed outwardly intact, just like Edwin's were. His eyelids were reddened, and his eyebrows were burnt, but his eyes seemed unchanged, and for a moment Legolas was even deceived that his friend could see him. But when he looked closely, he could see that Aragorn was staring forward, his eyes focused on nothing in particular. The damage was done.

"I am here, Estel," he repeated, knowing that the man could not see him and would be confused in his newfound world of darkness. The elf wished he could give his friend something to hold on to, if he could.

He saw Aragorn turn his face in his direction, but the man's eyes did not lock with his. They never would.

Those expressive grey eyes, that could glisten like molten silver, that could be dark like rainy clouds, troubled like a stormy sea, or cheerful like a summer sky; they would never look into anything again. Never again would they lit up in affection at the sight of a loved one, never again would they make an enemy look away just from the force behind the burning gaze. Those keen eyes, that could spot tracks even where elven eyes failed, would never be used again. Aragorn would never again see his city, or his beloved queen, or his child if the boy still lived. The elf clenched his fists in anger and heartwrenching pain. Edwin had no idea what he had destroyed.

The approach of hurried footsteps made him look up once again. The door opened and the same woman who had bound him in the forest walked in. "Father! I found your pipe. I fear Eldarion has broken it."

Edwin gave out a loud curse, but Legolas paid no attention to the man's words. He found it strange that the woman was referring to Eldarion by his rightful name, and not calling him 'the child' or 'the prince'.

"Father…" she hesitated.

"It is safe," he reassured her. "These two will die soon, and the king is blind already. No one will know your face."

She shuddered and strangely did not seem reassured by his words at all.

The elf stole a quick glance at his friend, and for a moment had the peculiar feeling that Aragorn was staring right at the girl. Then he realized his mistake – Aragorn was only looking in the general direction the voice had come from. And yet, his unseeing eyes were wide with shock.

"I know your voice," he whispered. "Moriel?"

The woman gasped.

"How… how could you?" he breathed in disbelief. "Arwen and I have always trusted you! We have treated you as our own daughter! And you – you love Eldarion!"

"How can you be so sure of that?" The woman said, and yet her voice did not sound as cold as she tried to make it be.

"This is why you tried so hard to become his nanny!" Aragorn continued. "From the very beginning you have been planning to betray us! So you are the one who stole something that would teach the dogs Eldarion's scent."

"Yes, I did, and it was easy," Moriel said, trying to sound confident. "It was one of Eldarion's toys. When my father was done with it, I returned it, but the child had noticed its absence already. He told the Queen, but she found it quickly and did not think much of it."

"Which toy was it?" Aragorn asked unexpectedly.

"A stuffed rabbit," the girl replied. "Little, and white, and –"

"Floppy?" Aragorn whispered.

The woman seemed taken aback. "Even the Queen did not know the toy's name!" she said.

For a moment, Aragorn seemed far away, lost in a memory of a better place, at a better time. "I bought Floppy for him at a fair in Rohan," he said. "It was Éomer who chose the name. And I sometimes try to play with Eldarion whenever my duties allow it, and I know most of his toys." He paused and swallowed hard, and when he continued, his voice was steady no longer. "I mean – I _used to _play with my son. Moriel, how could you?"

The woman seemed uncomfortable, but her father interrupted the conversation. "You owe him no explanations, Moriel. But come! We still have work to do!" He grabbed Aragorn by the upper arm and hauled him up. The man staggered on his feet unsteadily, and Edwin walked towards the door, followed by the dogs and the girl.

"Wait!" Faramir demanded. "Where are you taking him?"

"I promised I would let him live. I am setting him free."

For the first time, Aragorn tried to struggle against his captor, but he was too weakened by his wounds to do anything impressive. "Edwin, wait! What about my companions?" he asked urgently. "I now know who your daughter is. If you set me free, I will send many men after you and her if you do not let my companions go."

"Be quiet!" Edwin commanded. "It is I who decides who can go and who cannot!"

"Estel!" Legolas cried. Aragorn looked at him, and – yes, the elf could have sworn that for a moment the man had actually _looked _at him – and then their eyes seemed to lock. The illusion was so real and it made the pain even stronger. "Stay safe, my friend. My thoughts are with you."

Aragorn tried to reply, but Edwin roughly pushed him forward and closed the door behind him, cutting the prisoners' view of their king and friend.

Faramir and Legolas stood there in silence, staring at the spot where Aragorn had just disappeared. "What is he going to do to us now?" Faramir asked, and Legolas frowned at the indifference he detected in the man's voice. The Steward had a family, and Aragorn would be in need of him even more now. He could not despair!

"Nothing good I suppose," the elf said. "Unless, of course, we manage to find a way out."

"And what would be the point now?" Faramir asked bitterly. "We failed him, Legolas! We failed him! We could not help his son, and we could not stop this man from doing – doing _this _to him!"

"The point would be that your son would not need to grow up fatherless!" said Legolas firmly, but the man did not seem to hear him.

"Do you believe it can be cured? The blindness?"

Legolas's heart clenched at the trace of hope in the man's question. He sadly shook his head. "No. Tissue has been damaged and it cannot regenerate."

"I wish Mithrandir was here," said Faramir with a sigh.

"Or Lady Galadriel, or the Lord Elrond," added Legolas. "If anyone had known what to do, it would have been one of them. But they are all gone now. Still, perhaps Lord Elrond's sons, or Arwen herself, would know something of healing that we do not. Or perhaps they could consult Lord Celeborn."

"Lord Celeborn?" Faramir sounded dubious and Legolas smiled in spite of himself.

"Many underestimate the Lord because he had always lived in his Lady's shadow, but he is a wise elven lord in his own right, perhaps the wisest who still remains in Middle-earth." His eyes turned sad once again. "Yet, I do not believe that even he can help Aragorn. No one can."

"And what about the hands of the king?" Faramir kept asking. "Could he not use his healing skills on himself?"

Legolas shook his head. "He cannot. Naturally, he can bandage his own wounds just like any man could, but to do to himself what he did to you, he cannot. When he falls into the healing trance, he takes his own strength and gives it to the person in need. He calls him back from the shadows. He cannot call back himself. It is of no use."

"This is not fair!" Faramir lamented. "He is blessed with the gift to be able to help everyone, and yet no one can help him! And what of Eldarion? What if the child lives? He too has royal blood. Perhaps he can heal the way his father can?"

Legolas looked at the Steward and held his gaze. "Faramir, listen to me. The hands of the king cannot cure such ailment. I believe that even if Lord Elrond himself was here, he would have been unable to do anything." He paused and closed his eyes in pain. "The blindness is permanent. Nothing can be done."

"I do not believe it!" cried Faramir. "I refuse to believe it!"

"Denial would not help anyone," said Legolas. His heart ached to listen to the Steward's pain, but his own was no less.

"He did everything for me," the man muttered miserably. "He brought me back from the shadows and gave me a light to follow. He brought me into a world where I could leave the pain of my past behind. And when he was in need, I could do nothing to help him."

"None of us could," said Legolas, and a single tear slid down his cheek. He then gasped and looked up. Footsteps.

The door opened, and Edwin and his hounds entered the room. The elf frowned in confusion. "Where is the king?" he asked quickly.

"I set him free as promised," replied the man. "And now I have come to finish you two."

"Wait!" Legolas's puzzlement was growing. "You are returning too early; you could not have reached the City or any other settlement-"

"Who said I would return him to the City? I set him free in the woods outside of my home."

"In the woods!" Legolas cried in disbelief. "You left him in the woods! He is grievously injured, in pain, heartbroken and blind, and you left him alone in the woods!"

Edwin shrugged. "I gave him back his pack. I suppose he must have brought food and water. He will survive for a while."

"He will survive for a while?" The elf was beyond himself with shock. "Are you mad! He has not been blind for years like you! He will have no idea how to provide for himself! How to find food! Or where to go for that matter! How would he know which way is home? How would he know anything?"

Edwin smirked. "And what makes you think that I care?"

"You _should _care!" said Legolas sharply. "You said that you wanted him alive to live with this pain for years to come! He will not survive more than a few days! He will starve to death, if some wild beast does not finish him first!" The elf suppressed a shudder at the images that mercilessly came to his mind at his own words.

"True," said the man. "I did. But things changed. Now I do not want him to live long enough to find out that his son is alive. Yes, the boy escaped, and I was unable to stop him or track him. Perhaps he is on his way home already, and I cannot risk a happy family reunion. The king, however, will not get far. He will survive for a few days in the woods, living with the pain of his son's supposed death, and the very real death of the two fools who thought they could save him. This will have to do."

"Murderer!" the elf cried, fighting against his bonds. "Filthy murderer! We gave ourselves in because you promised that he would live!"

"I promised that I would set him free, not that I would hold his hand and walk him back to his bedroom in the palace," said Edwin. "But it matters not, what is done is done. Now all I need to do is finish with you two."

He gave a curt command, and the hounds walked forward, baring their teeth and growling. Legolas felt tears sting at his eyes. It had all been in vain then. Their death would be slow and painful, but it would probably be quick and merciful compared to what awaited Aragorn. The thought of the man, hurt, blind and alone in the wilds, crushed his heart into pieces. His only hope was that at least Eldarion would reach home safely and would bring his mother a sliver of solace. The child had proven more capable of them all.

The dogs took a step forward. Legolas and Faramir exchanged a glance. "I wish you had not come," the elf admitted. "And yet, I cannot deny that in a way I am glad you are here with me now. You are a good friend, Faramir."

"So are you," said the man bitterly. "But it was not enough."

Legolas sighed. "Friendship is never enough."

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**TBC

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_Reviews are very welcome!_


	7. Friendship is Always Enough

_Thanks to those who reviewed my last chapter - __Ellynn, _babschwi, iccle fairy, daisymall, OhShirleyUJest_, and especially Linda, who not only reviewed, but also advertised the story!_

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_**Chapter 7: "Friendship is Always Enough"**_

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Legolas could feel the dog's hot breath on his neck now and briefly wondered when the beast was going to bite. It could kill him in an instant if it bit at the right place, and he suspected that Edwin was unwilling to play any more games and would aim at a swift end.

And then, unexpected and unannounced, a strange melody filled the wide room. It was calm and soothing, taking away the cares and the anger and bringing new life and hope. The elf glanced at their captor – the man seemed as perplexed as they were.

What was most peculiar about the music was not the melody itself, but the instrument it was played on. It was a string instrument, that was for sure, but it sounded different from anything any Gondorian bard would use. And then it brought memories back to Legolas, images and sounds from a far away land he had once visited together with Aragorn.

Musicians playing on little, pear-shaped string instruments. Dancers in bright colours, enchanting him with their fluid movements. Arms covered with intricate bracelets which jingled merrily at every move, in tact with the music.

Harad. Yet, Legolas had never heard anyone play this instrument outside of the desert land. He did not know that the strange instrument could be found anywhere in Gondor, or that any musician would have the skill to use it.

As soon as the music appeared, something strange happened. The dogs stopped in their tracks, their faces, previously twisted in fierce rage, relaxed, and the growls were replaced by friendly whines. They all lay down, placing their heads on the ground between their front legs, looking at the prisoners with large, gentle eyes.

Edwin had sensed the change in his minions, and was now crying orders on the top of his lungs. But none of the dogs seemed to listen. They were trained so that the melody was the ultimate order, and no words could undo it. And the music was telling them to be calm.

Suddenly Edwin stopped shouting and took a deep breath. And then he started whistling. It was a melody deep and beautiful, and yet filled with darkness and rage.

The dogs seemed to hesitate, but the music from the instrument was stronger. Faramir and Legolas exchanged a glance, and then they both knew what to do. Man and elf started whistling, their voices mingling with the music from the unknown instrument. The dogs lay back down.

Then the door opened with a crash, and the last person Legolas had expected to see walked in. Eldarion. Except for a bloodied bandage around his leg, the boy seemed unscratched. But he was not alone.

Even though the King seemed barely able to stand up, he was walking forward unsupported. In his arms he held the instrument from Legolas's memories, and his fingers were deftly commanding the strings to produce the beautiful sounds. The elf held his breath and sagged to the floor, weak with relief. Aragorn looked at him and for a brief, torturous moment, Legolas had the illusion that their eyes locked. It was only his imagination, he reminded himself harshly, but the spark of hope that had flared through his heart at that instant hurt more than what he was prepared for.

"Eldarion, unbind Faramir and Legolas." Despite his weakened state, the King's voice was strong and filled with authority. "Legolas, please use your ropes to bind Edwin. Edwin, I would advise you against doing anything rash. We have your daughter."

The elf had to suppress a chuckle. He knew very well that Aragorn would never hurt the girl to force their former captor to submit, but it was very well that Edwin was unaware of that. That man could have never imagined how different he and the King were.

The child swiftly followed his father's orders, and once Edwin was bound, the King spoke again, never pausing in playing the music.

"I have caused you great pain and I understand your desire for revenge," Aragorn said. "If you had taken your hatred on me, I would have forgiven you. But you wanted to hurt my son. You wanted to hurt my friends. That I cannot forgive."

"Worse!" Eldarion cried and Aragorn looked at him in surprise. "You got Floppy involved!"

"You heard my son," the King said seriously although there was a mischievous sparkle in his eyes. "You got Floppy involved, and he is very dear to the Prince. And that is something he cannot forgive either."

"Where is my daughter?" Edwin cried. "What have you done to her?"

For the first time, there was true disgust in Aragorn's gaze. "Who do you think I am, Edwin?" he asked angrily. "I am not you and you will do well to accept this at last! Moriel is unhurt and will face a fair trial at the City, together with you. " His voice turned softer. "My friends, please join me outside."

Eldarion ran forward, as if eager to leave the room as soon as possible and apparently forgetting that his father needed assistance to follow. The man was not experienced to being blind and it was unlikely that he would remember how many steps to take in which direction to reach the door. This was why Legolas quickly walked to him and grasped his upper arm, carefully guiding him forward. "This way, my friend," he said softly.

Aragorn threw him a surprised glance and frowned, as if wondering what the elf meant. And then, understanding lit his features and a broad smile spread across his face. And much to Legolas's horror, he started to laugh.

The elf stared, overtaken by a peculiar mixture of shock, confusion, worry, irritation and joy. His friend's laughter was like music to his ears and he was glad that the man was still able to find mirth, but he could see nothing amusing and was starting to doubt the man's sanity. They walked out of the room, and Aragorn closed the door shut behind him, finally putting the string instrument down, but still chuckling softly.

"Could you please tell me what is so funny?" Legolas said somewhat stiffly.

Aragorn did his best to stop laughing. "I am sorry, Legolas, I really am. It is just that – well – I believe I forgot to mention that I can see perfectly well."

The elf gasped and his eyes widened. "You what?"

"I can see," Aragorn said, finally regaining control over his laughter. "I can see just as well as I could before we came here."

A cry of joy left the elf's throat and he wrapped his arms around the human, but released him quickly at the hiss of pain. His face was beaming. "How did this happen, Estel?" he asked. "How could you regain your sight? And so quickly?"

The King chuckled once again. "I did not regain my sight."

Legolas frowned in confusion and the light in his eyes quickly diminished. Had Aragorn not just told them that he could see?

"He did not regain his sight," Faramir spoke from behind them, unable to hide the pure delight in his voice. "He never lost it."

"See, Legolas?" said the King, winking at his Steward. "I have always told you that we, humans, are more quick-witted than elves. It must be because you have ages to understand what is happening, and you like to take your time."

Legolas glared dangerously and slapped the man lightly on the back of his head, mindful of his injuries. "You are fortunate that you are wounded, human. Will you be kind enough to enlighten the slow-witted elf about what happened?"

"I am not sure myself," Aragorn admitted. "But what I know is that when Edwin took me to the fireplace, I believed my son was dead. My eyes were filled with tears, and I believe it were those tears that saved me. The water took the heat from the iron and spared my eyes." The man shuddered slightly at the memory. "I could feel the heat burning at my face, my eyelashes, my skin. I could feel my tears evaporate and I knew that I did not have much time left before the heat had consumed my eyes. And so I cried out and pretended that it had happened already."

"You could have given us some sign-" said Legolas, but then he paused, and his brow furrowed, memories flashing in his mind. "Wait... All this time you were pretending that you could not see, and your eyes would not focus on anything, even before the girl arrived. Edwin could not notice that. He could not see you. You were not pretending for him. You were pretending for us as well!"

"I am really sorry, my friend, but it was necessary," Aragorn said apologetically. "I needed you to play along, and I needed you to be convincing. And you are a terrible liar, Legolas; you would have given me away. I did try to give you a sign at the end; I tried to look you in the eyes, but I could not make it clear enough without causing suspicion."

"Necessary!" Legolas could not believe his ears. "And have you any idea what you did to Faramir and me? Have you any idea what thoughts passed through our heads while we believed that you would never be able to see again? Your current injuries will seem nothing to you once I am done with you!" In spite of his angry words, his hands were gentle when he reached forward to support the injured man. Aragorn could stand on his feet no longer, and the elf eased him to the ground.

"And once you are done with him, Legolas, could you leave him to me? My desire for vengeance is no less than yours," said Faramir, but his voice was way too cheerful and relieved to sound threatening.

Aragorn laughed. "With friends like you two, I have no need of enemies!" His voice turned serious. "I am sorry for what I did to you. I truly am. My heart was breaking when I was listening to your screams, but I knew that we had to go through this if we were to leave this place alive. Forgive me."

"I forgive you, sire," Faramir said. "But I beg you, never do this to us again! My poor heart can take no more. I can swear my grey hairs are much more than they were yesterday!"

The King nodded in gratitude, accepting the forgiveness. Then his eyes turned to the elf. "Legolas?"

The elf slid to the floor, burying his face in his hands. He was silent for a while, and when he spoke, his voice was unsteady. "I thought that you could never see again! I thought that you were left alone in the darkness, unable to find the way home!" He raised his head and his voice hardened. "And you dare seek forgiveness?"

"I know, Legolas," the man said softly and grasped his shoulder. "I saw what pain I have caused you, and I can never forgive myself. But I believe that your heart is nobler than mine, and you can find the strength to forgive where I cannot."

The elf sighed in exasperation. "How can I forgive you, Estel," he said, "when I have never been angry with you?" He grasped the man's shoulder back and Aragorn smiled. "But tell me something," Legolas continued. "Where did you find that instrument and how do you know how to play it? And how did you know what melody to play?"

The man looked down at the instrument lovingly and pulled a string, which produced a soft note. "I have never been good at playing music," he began. "As a child in Imladris, I tried to learn how to play the flute and the harp, but I was always much worse than any elf, and was quickly discouraged. But during my time in Harad, I spent a lot of my travels with Jibran, a good man who became my companion for many adventures. He loved to play the _oud_ – this is what this instrument is called – and he taught me how to play it too. He was a patient teacher, and I soon learned the art.

"When news of the dog attack arrived at the palace, Baranir, one of Eldarion's friends who had been with him during the assault, told us that he had heard music before the dogs appeared. Then I thought that perhaps the dogs were trained to obey certain melodies, and I thought that it would be wise to take a musical instrument with me. There is a wide variety of instruments in the City, but I could not play any of them.

"Fortunately, at the moment we have a guest from Harad in Minas Tirith, Lord Ghasaan, with whom I have met many times and whom I deeply respect. He knows that I admire the culture of the desert land, and arrived with an entourage of dancers and musicians for my entertainment. Before I left after Eldarion, I went to briefly meet him and ask him to borrow one of the _ouds_ of his people.

"Still, I did not know what melody would calm the dogs, and could not learn it until I had heard it. I did not hear it until the dogs had attacked and nearly killed me. Then Edwin played it to calm them down, and I made an effort to memorize it, but did not have the chance to play it until much later. When he left me in the forest, he gave me back my pack, and the _oud_ was inside. There I met Eldarion, who had escaped successfully. He had also heard the melody once, and we both tried to reproduce it. I practiced for some time before we were both satisfied, but at the end I played it well enough."

"Now everything makes sense," said Legolas.

"No, not everything," Aragorn said. "There is one thing that I still cannot understand." His gaze moved from the elf to his Steward, and then back. "What are the two of you doing here?"

Legolas stood up and assisted the man to his feet. "What kind of a question is that? Saving you, of course!"

Aragorn chuckled again, and Faramir and Legolas exchanged a glance. "What is so amusing _this time_?" the elf asked, trying to sound annoyed, and yet unable to hide his joy at seeing his friend so quickly putting the unpleasant experience behind.

"Forgive me, my friends," the King said, still smiling, "but I was somehow under the impression thatit was _I _who saved _you_."

Eldarion cleared his throat. "Aren't you forgetting something, _ada_?"

"Ah, yes. I meant to say, it is _Eldarion and I _who saved _you_. So your coming here served no purpose except for creating more work for me and my son."

"Fine," Legolas murmured darkly, suppressing a smile. "And I suppose half-carrying you because you can barely stand on your feel counts for nothing? But tell me, oh mighty saviour, how are we going to walk past the dogs?"

"Easily," Aragorn replied.

The elf raised an eyebrow. "And would you care to elaborate on that?"

"The same way that Eldarion did when he escaped," said the King.

The elf and the Steward exchanged another glance. "I take back my words," Faramir murmured grumpily. "When I said that I wished Mithrandir was here. Now I can see that our good King is doing wonderfully in fulfilling his role."

Aragorn smiled again. "Thank you for the compliment, but there is no need. You will not wonder over this riddle for much longer. We are almost there."

The Steward opened the door and they were outside, surrounded by dozens of black dogs. Legolas tensed, but Eldarion gave out a cry of delight and ran towards one of the dogs. The elf tired to reach out and stop him, but it was too late.

Several dogs ran towards the boy, but instead of growling, they were barking happily and waving their tails. The child knelt done and scratched one of the animals behinds the ears. Then he looked back at his father, smiling.

"There is no malice in these dogs," Aragorn said. "They have been trained to fight for Edwin, but they would not attack unless given a command."

"What are we going to do with them?" asked Faramir.

"I believed the City can use some additional hunting hounds. These dogs have been trained to attack men, but they would not do it without a command, and perhaps it is possible to unlearn this habit. I will leave them to my dog trainers and see what they can do with them."

-:-

The little group walked down the forest path, leaving Edwin's home behind. Their progress was slow as Aragorn could no longer walk unsupported and was tiring quickly. "Perhaps one of us should hurry forward and find help?" Faramir offered, as they had once again stopped to rest.

Legolas was only half-listening. His ears were trained on a sound in the distance, approaching fast. "Someone is coming!" he hissed urgently. "Horses!"

And indeed horses and their riders were approaching swiftly, but the elf relaxed when he recognized the uniforms of the royal guard.

"Eradan!" The King addressed their leader. "What are you doing here? The Queen said she would give me three days."

"She did," said the man, smiling apologetically. "But then the Queen changed her mind." He looked over his lord worriedly. "And I am glad that she did."

"I am glad too," said Faramir suddenly. "Eradan, we need four of your men to take care of the villain and his daughter and bring them to the dungeons. The rest of us will ride to Minas Tirith immediately! Prepare a stretcher for the King!"

Aragorn threw him a shocked glance. "Faramir, you do not expect me to be carried to the City!"

The younger man looked sternly at his lord. "And you cannot expect to ride by yourself in this condition," he stated. "You will be carried on a stretcher, and this is my final word!"

The King glared at him sharply, and Faramir paled. "Forgive me, sire, I know that I am but a Steward and have no right to give you orders, but-"

Aragorn's gaze softened. "You are much more than a Steward, Faramir. I will gladly follow your orders, my friend." With these words, he turned around and allowed his guards to help him forward. Faramir stood there, gazing open-mouthed after his King.

-:-

The Steward was sitting in a stuffed chair, staring lazily at the low table in front of him. There was a bowl of fruit, but he could not decide if he was hungry or not.

Among the apples, peaches and oranges, there was some strange fruit that he had never seen before. It was round, pink-red, and there were little pointed green leaves on the fruit itself. A slender hand reached forward and grabbed it.

"What is this?" Legolas asked, examining it curiously. He broke it open. Inside the fruit was white with little black dots.

"I have no idea," Faramir admitted. "This is the first time that I see it."

The elf took a bite. "Mmm, it is good. Do you want to try it?" He handed the man one of the halves.

Faramir tried the fruit and was pleasantly surprised. It was creamy, sweet and delicate.

"It is a fruit from Harad," a voice from behind him said, and he turned around in surprise. He had not heard the Queen approaching. "Estel loved it during his time there and is working to arrange it being regularly imported here. Our guests brought some samples to prove that they can bring the fruit here before it is spoiled." She smiled. "Thank you for destroying the sample, Legolas."

"It seems fruits are not the only thing that the King enjoyed during his stay in Harad," Faramir said, graciously trying to divert the attention away from the elf, who had turned a dark shade of pink. "And for that I am grateful."

"As am I," said Legolas, before turning to the Queen. "Arwen, may we see him?"

She sighed. "If it was for me to decide, he should be resting and recovering. Unfortunately, he specifically said that he wishes to see both of you today."

The man and elf were on their feet before she had finished speaking. They walked quickly to the King's bedchamber, knocked and entered, after hearing a soft reply.

"Legolas, Faramir," the King greeted them, smiling broadly. He was half-sitting, half-lying on the bed, his back supported by large pillows. His features were relaxed and the light had returned to his eyes, but he still looked very pale. "I wish to speak to you. Please, take a seat." He gestured at two chairs by his bed.

Suddenly the door flew open without warning and Eldarion stormed inside, followed by Elboron. Faramir frowned and was about to rebuke his son for disturbing the king, but Eldarion spoke before he could.

"_Ada, ada_, look who has come to see you!" The little prince produced a little stuffed rabbit.

Aragorn winked at his friends. "Ah! Floppy!" he said in delight. "It is wonderful to see you, my dear friend. Has my son been good to you?" He took the rabbit and moved him closer to his ear. Then he moved the toy's head up and down, as if it was speaking. The King's smile was replaced by a frown. "What? Is that so? I will see what I can do about this." He looked sternly at his son. "Eldarion, Floppy here is telling me that you have not given him a single carrot since your return."

The two boys gasped in unison. "I forgot!" Eldarion breathed.

"Does this mean that he will now run away and go to Rohan?" Elboron asked in horror.

"Perhaps it is not too late to repair this wrong," said Faramir. "Quickly! To the kitchen!"

Eldarion and Elboron did not need a second reminder and rushed out of the room at once. Their fathers exchanged an amused glance. "You wished to speak to us, sire," Faramir said.

The King turned serious at once. "Yes, yes I do. I would like to thank you both."

"Thanks us?" Legolas whispered in disbelief. "What is there to thank for?"

"For saving me," Aragorn said softly, holding his friends' gazes.

Faramir gasped in surprise, and the elf stood up from his chair, staring down angrily. "Did you call us here to mock us, Aragorn? Yes, we know, you have said it already – we came to save you, but failed and you were the one to save us instead. Do you need to remind us this? Do you think we had forgotten that we were unable to help you when you were in need? It had never stopped haunting me."

The King looked startled and quickly shook his head. "No, Legolas, that is not what I meant. I was being serious."

Legolas sat down slowly, and it was his turn to be confused. "What did you mean then?"

"Do you think that I would have survived those horrors if I was alone?" Aragorn asked, and his voice was laden with emotion. "Do you think I would have survived this man telling me that my son was dead? Do you think I would have fought for my life? When Edwin told me that Eldarion was dead, I thought I had lost everything. My world was crashing down on me, but you two were there to give me hope."

The elf stood up from his chair and sat on the bed instead, grasping the man's hand in his own and squeezing it tightly. Aragorn continued. "I would have never found the strength to fight if not for you. I would have never tried to deceive Edwin. I would have waited for my eyes to be burnt, and he would have left me in the forest, truly blind, where I would have slowly died. But you were there! And I fought for you. I managed to do everything that I did for you, because I wanted to save you, and in saving you I saved myself."

A single tear slid down Legolas's cheek and Faramir smiled as he watched the man and the elf. Long had he observed the friendship between the two and admired it. As for himself, he had felt nothing but deep love and respect for his King ever since the day he had called him back from the shadows. Sometimes he wondered if his lord returned his friendship, but the truth was, it mattered little. No matter what, Aragorn would always have his loyalty and devotion.

And then, suddenly, Faramir noticed that Legolas was grasping only one of the King's hands. Aragorn's other hand was free and… and stretched towards him. Faramir looked at it hesitantly and then raised his face, meeting his lord's eyes. Aragorn smiled at him and nodded slightly. Faramir grasped the King's hand and squeezed it lightly. The pressure was returned. And then the Steward knew that he had to wonder no longer.

"I wish to thank you both," Aragorn said fervently. "I would not be here now if not for you. Thank you."

"We did little, my Lord," Faramir said sadly. "We could not help you. All we could offer you in this dark hour was friendship, and it was not enough."

Aragorn's eyes met his Steward's and he held the man's gaze for a moment before speaking. "Oh, but it _was_ enough, Faramir," he said seriously. "Friendship is always enough."

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_**-:- The End -:-**_

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Final notes:

**Aragorn's supposed blindness:**

The method of blinding someone by holding a red-hot piece of metal in front of his eyes is called abacination. After such a procedure, the eyes can outwardly seem to be intact, and it is possible to deceive someone that you are able to see (or, as we saw, vice versa).

Is the trick with the tears possible? I tried to do some research on this, but was unable to find anything useful. However, what happens to Aragorn in this story is also described in a book, _Michael Strogoff_ by Jules Verne. He is known for always basing his books on solid science, and I decided to trust him. This is the explanation that he gives at the end of the book:

"The tears, which his pride in vain endeavored to subdue, welling up from his heart, gathered under his eyelids, and volatilizing on the cornea, had saved his sight. The vapor formed by his tears interposing between the glowing saber and his eyeballs, had been sufficient to annihilate the action of the heat. A similar effect is produced, when a workman smelter, after dipping his hand in vapor, can with impunity hold it over a stream of melted iron." – "Chapter XV: Conclusion". _Michael Strogoff_. Jules Verne

Sounds perfectly sensible, and I was unable to find any evidence to the contrary, so I decided to accept it. Why did this not happen to Edwin then? Surely he must have cried about his child too. I do not know, but I would assume that this is a rare phenomenon, and requires some luck. Besides, perhaps Edwin's tormentors held the hot iron for a longer time in front of his eyes because he did not have Aragorn's idea to pretend that his eyes had been burnt already before it had happened. And since Edwin is blind, it was easier for Aragorn to deceive him.

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_Thanks for reading! Reviews are greatly appreciated!_


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